2012 Favourites.

So 2012 is over. I actually can't believe it. It stresses me a little that  a whole year has gone by and I just feel like I blinked. Crazy.

Just a quick one, just thought I'd share a few of my favourites from 2012.

All L to R.

Top

• Bohemia perfume by M&S. Love this!! £12 for a big bottle and £6 for a smaller handbag sized one!
• Naughty Alice by Vivienne Westwood. This might be my ALL TIME favourite perfume.

Middle

• Bed Head After Party. I love how this makes my hair feel after I've blow dried it!so silky and smooth.
• Eylure lashes (101 & 107) LOVE these. they make my face feel prettier even without make up!
• Muji tin candle in Fig & berry. YUM.
• Princess by Vera Wang. so delicate and girly this is m y 'night in' perfume!
• Butterfly perfume by M&S. I am a sucker for M&S and Next perfumes.

Bottom

• Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer. Liz Earle. That is all.
• Barry M Gelly in Prickly Pear
• Barry M in Raspberry
• Estee Lauder Doublewear. Could not live without this. 
• No 7 essential moisture night cream. - ESSENTIAL!
• Kiehls ultimate strength hand salve. Heaven for after all that hair washing!
• St.Moriz tan. I normally use the mousse but I won this! love it!

     

SO, yeah, that's a few of my fave's from this year. There are loads more but I managed to narrow it down!

p.s Might have to wait until my birthday for a new camera as I'm on a new year spending ban (ish) so sorry for the crap pics!

Body Beautiful?

I didn't know whether or not to write this post because I know it's a touchy subject.

I can't and would never speak on behalf of somebody but myself, as I only know about myself and my body.

I've struggled with my body the last few years. I used to be slimmer than I am now, then I got a boyfriend and we stayed in all the time and got takeaways or we went out to eat. Obviously it was fine for him because he had a naturally fast metabolism and had a hard time putting weight on. Good for him, bad for me.

So, yeah, we split up and I was trying things on for a 'girls night out' and I realised how much my body had actually changed. I actually cancelled on my friends, even though it was all in aid of cheering me up, got into my pj's and cried...and ate.

I've always loved eating. Like, I REALLY love eating. It's one of my favourite things ever, but I knew I had to go on a diet to feel better, so I did, and I made myself miserable. I can't not eat the things I like because if I restrict myself, I'll just eat wayyy more than I normally would anyway.

But I decided exercise was the way forward, I stopped my diet and decided I HAD to eat breakfast even though I hate eating it, and I had to have lunch and dinner at a reasonable time and with loads of veg or with fruit after each  meal. Anyways, after about.....3/4 months I lost 25lbs and I've managed to stay at that weight for the last 2 years, well not, that's a total lie, I've put on 4lbs, but I'm already on to getting rid of that.

I don't want to be thin, I know I'll never be thin, I'm not built to be thin, that's not what I'm aiming for. I'm aiming for happy and healthy. So after new year, I'm going to take up running again and eat more fruit and veg, that's my plan.

I'm still not very comfortable with my weight because I'm only 5'1 and a size 10/12 and my frame is quite small so it doesn't sit right on me. I do kinda like having a bum though, I must admit! I don't like to be called 'curvy' though, I don't know why, but one of my friends said it once and I was just got defensive. I think that's the medias fault though, putting labels such as 'curvy' and 'skinny' on people, I hate that. And the term 'real woman' for someone 'curvy' like, erm, hello? all women are real....aren't they?? I mean, if you pinch us, we're all actually here, real, not a figment of your imagination.... Sorry, I'll stop before that turns into a proper rant.

My boyfriend now is super active and always moving so I don't see him all the time, but he's fit and it kind of makes me want to do more...I haven't yet but I am determined,

Another thing about putting weight on  in those years, my boobs got bigger....I had quite big boobs anyway, I was a DD by the time I was 14/15 and I've always hated having boobs, in school I always felt weird because I had them before everyone but this one other girl, and I hated PE and getting changed and having to run and all the boys being really immature. When I put weight on, they got even bigger and they're still the same size now.

I'm still the same, I get so self conscious, I never, ever have them out, I get so paranoid.

However, I'm thinking as a new years resolution, I'm not going to make stupid ones like, 'I'll keep my room tidy' or 'I will limit my pizza intake to one a month' - ( impossible ones! ), but to accept that I have boobs and that, it's not so bad, everyone has them now, and if I like a dress but it shows a bit of cleavage, I don't have to immediately dismiss it.

I'm feeling a tiny bit more confident about myself now that I have started to relax, I've started wearing dresses too! I'm glad that I got myself to this point though, on that night I cancelled on my friends, one of my first thoughts was, 'I'll never get another boyfriend', and it really pisses me off that I thought that, now I can honestly say, I would never change to make someone like me and I'm glad I didn't. I did get another boyfriend, despite not looking that much different to when I felt so rubbish, and he just adds to it, he's so nice to me and makes me feel good. I'm happy, and when I'm happy, I smile... a LOT and I don't panic over the slice of pizza or cake I just ate, and life is easier that way!

But, I am going to look after myself next year, get fit and work with what I've got!!

I don't know why I wrote this. I think it was just so I have it in writing to remind myself to work at it. :)

Glittery Sky Nails!!

I just called them 'glittery sky nails' because they remind me of a scene/background we used to use for our nativity plays in primary school!!

This is my first attempt at a glitter kind of fade look. Mainly because I have no patience waiting for my nails to dry and because as much as I love glitter, I'm so lazy and just pick it off because it's so much effort to take off properly!

I decided I wanted one like a night sky so I opted for:

Barry M Silver Foil Effect - Hara Pixie - China Glaze Nova - OPI Russian Navy

First I painted my nails with Nail Envy by OPI - definitely worth the money!! - then I did two coats of Russian Navy.

Then I used the Barry M to paint a thin line along the very tip of my nails with barely any polish on the brush and then blurred the line a little , I didn't want it too visible but it was either that or use 50 coats of glitter to get my desired effect and as I said, I'm super impatient!

After that I kind of made a thick and lumpy line of the silver Hara glitter by holding the brush vertically and scraping it onto my nails ( if that makes sense?) and then flattened it out a little with the brush and dragged some of it towards the middle of my nail.

Then when that was dry, I did a reeeeally thin layer of the China Glaze over the whole of each nail because I love that it is super sparkly and it really catches the light!!

Hope you like them!! :)

Christmas Shortbread.

I'm going to post a couple of Christmas themed recipes over the next couple of weeks leading up to Christmas. I love baking so I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you!

I'm being quite thrifty this christmas because college and my equipment has killed off my bank account!

So I am making little hampers for people, with bits and bobs in. I'll post some ideas ASAP!

Today, it's shortbread.

I'm not a huge fan myself, but my family love the stuff so it's always appreciated!! :) and I can make vegan versions of most of these for my friends too!

Ingredients:

125g/4oz butter (or vegan option)
55g/20z caster sugar
180g/6oz plain flour

(makes about 20-24 fingers, I halved the ingredients because there was only my Mum and I eating them!)

you can add a splash of vanilla extract too if you like, but just a splash or they won't taste much like shortbread!! I put vanilla in most things, love it!

Pre-heat the oven to 190c/375f/gas 5

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until smooth. Then,. slowly stir in the flour until combined and it has formed a dough ( not a super firm dough though).

Turn out on to a work surface and gently roll out until its is 1cm/1/4 inch thick.

Cut into shapes, fingers, rounds or whatever you fancy! I made stars!

Sprinkle with a little bit of icing sugar and chill in the fridge on a baking tray for 20 mins/half an hour.

Once chilled, bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Mine only took about 12 minutes, because I have a fan oven and it gets stupidly hot and burns things so I had to keep a close eye on them!!

Once they cooled, I put them on a plate and sprinkled loads of cinnamon sugar on them, because I love cinnamon and I think it's a nice warm christmassy spice!!


I just realised how crap this post is because I didn't have time to take a picture of the finished product....they got snapped up too quick!!

These also make a nice little gift if you bag them up all nice and finish off with some cute christmas ribbon!!

Good Luck!

Let me know if you make them!!

Perfume.

I am obsessed with perfume!! I love it so much. I always have a moment of panic if I go out and realise I don't have anything on! So I run to the nearest shop I can get to, to spray some!

I have a few that I am loyal to and although people buy me different ones for Christmas, birthdays etc. I still tend to stick to the ones I love and will only use the others if I run out!!

Here they are!


1) Naughty Alice by Vivienne Westwood.

     I was walking through the Trafford Centre when this very first came out and one of those perfumey sales people squirted me with it as I walked past, normally, I hate that but I got a big whiff and fell in love!! I can't even describe what it smells like but all of my friends have gone and bought it and whenever they smell it they say it reminds them of me. It's quite a strong smell, and takes a while to fade but stays on my clothes forever! which I love...I spray scarves with it...and occasionally, my pillows because I love it so much!!
The three key notes in this perfume are; black rose, ylang ylang and carnal violet.

2) Princess by Vera Wang

     Princess is a super delicate smell in comparison to Naughty Alice, so this is more of a hanging out, everyday kind of perfume. I love that it smells so girly and  I LOVE the bottle. I wear the little crown as a ring. I love that it's like, lilac in colour and looks really pretty.
The top notes in this perfume are; water lily, apple, freshly-sweet mandarin and apricot
Heart notes; exotic guava, tiare flower, tuberose with a touch of dark chocolate
Base notes; vanilla, amber and wood

3) Bohemia by M&S

     I love this and nearly always have a bottle in my bag! It smells super clean and quite sharp, when I smell it, it reminds me of Black XS for men - which I LOVE! It's only £6 for the bottle I keep in my bag and £12 for the full sized bottle. Which is a total bargain price!! I was actually surprised when I came across the M&S perfumes last Christmas, there are quite a few really nice ones. I bought Bohemia and Butterfly. I also got a couple for my friends, because they have offers on buy one get one half price and they do gift sets too!

An eclectic fragrant blend of lemon, blueberry and bergamot with floral heart notes of lily of the valley, mimosa and gardenia drying down to warm aromas of cedarwood, amber and vanilla.

I'm quite fussy with perfume. I really do just stick to the ones I love for as long as I can.

I've also worn to death, Armani Diamonds, Clinique Happy, Lacoste Touch of Pink and Tommy Girl.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE perfume.

What are your favoutites???

Watch "Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love [Official Video]" on YouTube

I love Isobel Lucas. And Ed Sheeran, of course. I looove this video.

Always Wear...Sunscreen... - Baz Luhrman

Ok, so, this is going to sound REALLY fan girlish, but I once randomly read an interview with Hayley Williams from Paramore and it was about skin care and make up and she has really pale skin and so do I when I don't wear a bit of tan, actually, I'm still mega pale with tan.... Anyway, she said her dermatologist told her to use La Roche-Posay and it turned out to be great for her skin....so yes, I ordered it online, they didn't have it in Boots then, and I loved it!! I got some Hydraphase stuff and some Effaclar because I have horribly dry skin but it also breaks out quite a bit...grim.

She also said she wore total sun block on her face everyday, which I do too, because my dad had skin cancer so I think about sun care a lot more than most people would probably ever realise and she said she doesn't like heavy make up either so she used a tinted moisturiser called ProtecTINT by an american brand called LORAC. It's a tinted moisturiser that comes in different shades and has SPF 30 so I was so excited....until I realised we couldn't get it here. Luckily I have some family in America and my Aunty was going over to visit and she kindly brought me some back.

I am obsessed with it.

I'm not a fan of heavy foundations everyday, mainly because I'm quite lazy and sometimes, I just can't be arsed sitting infront of a mirror making sure my face is perfect...some days I don't even look in the mirror if I don't have to, but this was amazing, it didn't have total coverage, obviously, because it's only a tinted moisturiser, but I didn't need that much coverage after a week or so of wearing it because my skin was able to breath and stayed quite clear, where as when I was piling my love, Double Wear on I'd find my skin would be extra dry or I'd get a spot or something. But this just gave me a healthy kind of fresh faced look.

I am desperate for my Aunty to go back so she can get me some more because I am very, very nearly out and I have been using it super sparingly.

If you can get your hands on any I definitely recommend it!! I love it so much so I just wanted to share it with you before I ran out!!!

P.s Sorry again for the awful pictures, I really need to buy a new camera!!

Hellraiser...

Just a quick little post about one of my favourite lipsticks of all time. Hellraiser by MAC.

I do love a bit of glitter every now and then but if I'm not feeling like I want to go all out and have sparking eyes, I go for this! its kind of a lilac/pink sparkly lipstick. I love it so much!!

I don't even remember what made me look at glittery lipsticks but I saw it out of the corner of my eye and had to have it.

I admit I don't wear it very often and I got it a while back but I do love it and it never fails to make me feel like I'm 5 again, and I will sit alone in my room with it on, not a scrap of other make up but this. It's such a lovely colour, I can't even get a swatch that shows you how cute it is!!

But yeah if you're looking for a sparkle for the festive period, or any party time for that matter Hellraiser is the one!!

p.s please excuse the awful pictures, and my nails. thanks.

BLOG SALE!!!

So...I need to reduce my wardrobe and condense my things into stuff I NEED :(  because I want to redecorate so.... I thought before I put anything up on ebay I'd put things up first on here! Let me apologise now for the horrendous camera quality....my phone and night time don't mix. If you have any questions or offers get in touch!! here or over on twitter @thebellejarblog

Let's get to it!!

I love these pumps but I've only worn them once (with tights!) so cute with a little velvety bow on the front!

size 4.5 ( the sticker said 37 when I got them but they're quite roomy)

£5 - £3.50p&p

Cute Kickers calf wellies!! Black and pink with little drawings on and a little button detail at the top. Worn and in really good condition! got loads of wear left! :)

Size 5 (38)

£8 - £4.50 p&p

Yellow Spongebob 'I love Nerds' Tee. size 14 but quite small I'd say any size between 8-12 depending on the fit you want! Only worn once or twice!

£3.50 - £2 p&p

Brand new Moschino Cheap And Chic Perfume set. Literally only took the top off to take the pic. Gift box is red with a holographic top! Great Gift 50ml perfume and 30ml body lotion.

£10 - £3.50 p&p

8 Pairs of eyelashes. I love them and this was a pack of 10 and I used two pairs but I don't think I'm a lash girl!! 

£2.50 - £1.50 p&p

Navy blue (dark, not as light as on the pic) and turquoise Carvela shoes. I love these soooo much but I just don't wear them anymore.

Only worn a few times so there is wear on the soles but heels in perfect condition and because I'm a tramp they still have the sticker on the bottom from when I got them :s I bought them for £100. 

Size 4 (37)

£25 - £5 p&p

H&M concious collection black velvet body con dress with attached sleeves? like batwing but they are attached to the side of the dress...not so good at explaining this one... still has tags, bought for a party but never ended up going! Looks amaaaazing on with ankle boots! 

Size 12

£7 - £3 p&p

POUT sun blushed & sun drenched bronzer duo. Brand new never used. Mirror in compact too! 2 x 5g

£7 - £2.50 p&p

La Roche-Posay Hydraphase. Hydrating Make Up Remover. 200ml, only used once or twice so basically full.

£7 - £3 p&p

Bed Head (Tigi) After Party hair cream. I LOVE this stuff!! makes your hair feel amazing after blowdrying. 100ml, only used a few times about 95% full.

£5 - £2.50 p&p

Forever 21 black suedey peeptoe shoe boots! I love these but they don't fit. I wore them once for a meal out. theyve got a bit of a sling back bow detail going on even though they have a full heel. Sooo nice!

Size 4

£10 - £5 p&p

Topshop baby blue, light denim/chambray looking sleeveless smock mini dress/top. This looks soooo good with a big chunky cardi, leggings, chunky socks and ankle boots!! 

Size S

£5 - £2.50 p&p

What I Really, Really Want is .....

So with christmas coming up and being ridiculously skintos, I am on a mad hunt for christmas presents, I am usually the just go out on christmas eve and buy whatever you see kinda gal, but not this year!

I've already bought quite a few bits for my mum and sister and have started putting little beauty boxes together for my buds.....my poor brother will probably end up with a boy beauty box...actually, that's exactly what he's getting!!

I'm gonna get to work on that in a little while! I'm pretty excited now! Any ideas on what to put in a 'boy beauty box' besides the obvious aftershave?? Please share because now I feel like my boyfriend is gonna have to have one too! haha!

Anyways...this post was about what I want! (nothing new there!) It was originally about what my little sister was getting for her 21st birthday on Tuesday BUT she might peek so I'll save that for her actual birthday....lets just say my room smells LUSH. haha!! Ok, that was poor.

Right let's get to it!!

American Apparel Rib Nylon Spandex Leggings £22 - I have no idea where my current obsession with these has come from as I normally refuse to buy American Apparel but I NEED these and one of my best friends works there so I'll only buy them if he lets me use his discount! haha!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub £5.25 I LOVE this stuff, it smells soooo good!!! And my lips definitely need some help in winter...I'm not the best at drinking the recommended amount of water....at all.

Marks & Spencer Bohemia Perfume £12 for 100ml. This smell isn't for everyone, my sister is not a fan, but she's not a fan of my wearing men's Black XS either, which is what this reminds me of and is why I love it, it has a sort of super sharp clean smell to it. The website describes it like this : 'An eclectic fragrant blend of lemon, blueberry and bergamot with floral heart notes of lily of the valley, mimosa and gardenia drying down to warm aromas of cedarwood, amber and vanilla.' 

For £12 though, for 100ml you can't argue and they do a buy one get one half price offer and gift sets, and smaller bottles too! Really is a great stocking filler!! There's another one called Butterfly which is also nice!

Ok, so, that's some of the bits on my christmas list! I have no idea what I want this year!!!

What are you asking for???!!

Home & Away

So, I'm feeling a little glum lately. I keep catching colds so I'm always sick and feeling crap and find myself curled up in my pj's watching the soaps with my sister.

I am addicted to Home & Away. Seriously though, some of the girls in that show definitely make me want to get off my bum and go to the gym and eat better!!! I am seriously lacking that motivation right now, and am not comfortable in my size 12 jeans, I'm only 5'1 and it just doesn't feel right. I must admit though, I love having a bum...boobs not so much! haha.

Just thought I'd share my three fave girls from the show! - Yes, I know how sad I am posting about a soap but I definitely need a holiday in summer looking more like this haha! This is a motivational post for myself really!!


Samara Weaving who plays Indi Walker is just super gorgeous like, in a model kind of perfect way.

Demi Harman who plays Sasha Bezmel, Indi's half sister, she is so gorgeous and so adorable! I love the retro, quirky kind of style she has.

And the there is Rhiannon Fish. This girl is unreal, like she is just one of those people who would look still perfect and flawless in a bin bag!! 

I am going to look at this post daily and get off the couch, even if it's for a quick walk!! 

But yeah, if you love a bit of drama and good looking girls...and boys of course, I say give it a go!!

Too many girl crushes to be had!! haha!!

Who are your girl crushes??!!

Guess who's back....

I havent written in soooo long and feel pretty lame about it, I've been catching up with a lot of people the last few weeks! It has been quite fun but I'm pretty low on funds and didn't get the job I went for....grim.

Right now, I'm sitting in my boyfriends grandparents house while he's at uni. I am so paranoid someone is going to come in (even though they're away), that I'm sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea watching Jeremy Kyle. Oh the glamour, eh?!

He was supposed to drive me home at 7am before he went in, but because I'm nice I let him have an extra hour in bed (yes, I hate mornings and physically would not get out of bed, it was still too dark and cold at 6am!) but I also forgot I had plans today, I bought a top last week and my nan loved it and has ordered me to go get her one too - in the same colour so 'we can be twins'. Haha I love ny nan, she's crazy.

Argh, I seriously jump everytime I hear a noise....calm Sarah, calm.

I'm not really sure what to write about here without rambling like a crazy lady.

Hmm...what have I bought recently?....

Primark peach lip balm for £1! I dont love it as far as lip balms go, but I LOVE the packaging!! It's so pretty!!

I've also bought some cute ankle boots from the New Look kids section!

I'm on the lookout for new jeans, i love jeans far too muh but I wear them to death!! I saw some really nice ones on Monki but I might get them for christmas!

Speaking of.....anybody got any cute ideas for christmas presents?

I'm focusing on my mum and sister mainly this year. Got them a cute mini REN set each yesterday and I'm going to DIY/customise some pj's and a hoody and some socks for my sister, she's obsessed with pj's. Still not sure what to get my mum and I think my sister and I are going to just fill a gift bag with bits and bobs for my brother. I prefer getting loads of little things at christmas instead of one big present and a couple of bit, it's because I'm a big kid really, I love unwrapping presents!!!

I'll post some DIY pics when I get started!

Any helpful suggestions or tips are mooore than welcome!!! :)

The Wanderer Returns...

So, I'm back from my travels.....and I'm kinda glad to be honest. I missed my bed and I don't do well sunbathing and the like. I mean, I was in Dubai for nearly two months and wasn't bored once but real 'holidays' where my mum goes to relax, stress me out so bad. I can't sit still and end up walking around by myself or sitting on the balcony reading and listening to music, so I always feel like it's wasted on me.

It was lovely though, I love Protaras in Cyprus, I've been twice before and will definitely be going again.

Anywhere with Greek food is fine by me. I love all the ancient Greek history and all the mythology and all of that, I've been obsessed with it since I was a kid. I always feel sad when I go to Cyprus though and we go on the Aphrodite boat trip and look at Famagusta (The Ghost Town), from miles away. Makes me really sad that those poor people just got turfed out of their own homes and have never returned. Sucks, what a waste. It's not used for anything, it's just empty, so how pointless and ridiculous??!!

I do love looking at it though, it's kind of eerie and always seems to look like it has a black cloud over it and all the buildings are dark which is really weird because all along the coast it white and cream and blue but as you scan along the coast line, that part is grey and dark. weird.

I know you can go into Famagusta and look around, but I don't think I would.

Yeah, so, anyway, I always get distracted, it's quite annoying, but yes, it was lovely, I love the beach and the sea and all that, I just can't sit there all day and  bake I get all fidgety and restless, and hyper and really annoying to whoever I'm with, but I can't help it. So we went the beach more than we normally do, and the pool a lot less than we usually do, I must admit I liked the sea a lot more than the pool this time round...was wayyy warmer!!

We also did a lot of walking around and eating - of course! I think I went into every single souvenir shop on the strip every night looking for something to get for my friend, because I told her I'd bring her something back, and I'm normally great at getting little bits for people but I didn't find a thing I liked enough to buy her, which was annoying.

I had some amaaaazing food out there, I definitely put on far too many holiday lbs!! haha oh well, I enjoyed every bite!! I had stifado, kleftico, moussaka and tzatzsiki ( spelling?). I am obsessed with Greek food. It's just sooooo good!!! Greek bread is pretty awesome too, especially Greek Pitta. YUM.

Also, loooads of drinks! I had a mango and passion fruit daiquiri whoch I've never had before but it was ridiculous, then we went to a little mexican place and got frozen margaritas which I normally love but I could not for the life of me drink it! It nearly blew my socks off! It was sooo strong and I can't drink tequila unless it's flavoured or a frozen margarita. I could have been a fire breather after that one! My mum drank it though!! haha

The cocktails are super cheap over there and my best friend's last day there was my first day so it was awesome that we got to spend the afternoon drinking cocktails together because she was the first person I went there with! We ended up talking about all sorts of stuff, the way you do when you've had a few too many, and we got talking about an old friend, so we sent her a text and arranged a night out for tomorrow, and I am really excited to see her. Weird how fast time can go by and you lose touch with people. It should be a super fun night because we used to be the three musketeers and we shall be reunited once again! yay!!

My Mum's birthday is on the 7th of this month and she said because we got her so much for mothers day she didn't want a big fuss, so of course we couldn't not do anything so we thought we'd celebrate over there, so we took her to a posh restaurant and then for frozen cocktails in a swanky little lounge/bar thing (which turned out to be stupidly cheap) and then we took her for breakfast and a boat trip the next day. It was really nice actually, even though my brother wasn't there with us! I wouldn't mind celebrating her birthday there every year! haha! She had a nice time anyway so that was good!!

But yeah, came back to rain, wind and cold........ and its friggin' great!!! :)

Went out looking for boots today and got so excited about the weather and starting college soon!!

I think I've rambled a tad bit there...so here's some pics instead....

Will do a separate outfit post tomorrow!!