August Favourites.

Some of my favourites this month.


I have a fair few lip products but to be honest I mainly stick to what I'm comfortable with everyday. However, I've been playing around this month, I'm seriously loving either really red, or dark lips.

Here are my faves at the moment!!

L-R; MUA Luxe Velvet Lips in Kooky and Reckless, MUA matte in Fawn Fancy, Collection in Revenge and E.L.F Lip Definer & Shaper.

Matte Lips are my all time favourite ever. I just find them a lot less messy. 

Kooky and Reckless are the two shades I just HAD to have when I first saw the MUA velvets online and they didn't disappoint!!

I wear the MUA Matte Fancy Fawn all the time, this is just a great everyday lipstick, it's really subtle.

Now, I was feeling brave and I am a total goth at heart, so I bought this Collection Lipstick in 'Revenge' a while ago, this isn't matte but it is absolutely beautiful, it's not as dark as I expected but more of a dark red, wine colour. I love it. It's perfect for nights out!

The E.L.F Lips Definer & Shaper seriously helps if you want that Kylie Jenner effect! I am obsessed with this.

L-R; MakeUp Revolution Rebel With A Cause, Rimmel Kate 107, MAC Satin Red, MAC Hue.

Rebel With A Cause is a new one I've found just in this last week, and it is honestly a gorgeous colour, I'm not sure about the consistency yet, but that may just be because I love matte too much, but as I said, amazing colour, and for £1 who can complain?!

These three I have had for a while now and I haven't paid them as much attention as I maybe should have, but I have rediscovered them this last month!

The Kate Moss one is just amazing. I don't even know what to say because it's just so perfect for me! I even put this on under 'Revenge' for a deeper colour, and it lasts a little longer then too!

MAC. Well, to be honest, I'm so bored of MAC lipstick, you can get so many quality dupes for such a better price. BUT I do love the ones I have, Satin red is just SO red, I really like it, but I don't like that its not matte.....and although I just said I'm bored of MAC lipsticks, I am seriously considering Ruby Woo. It is matte and just a seriously gorgeous shade and I haven't found a dupe that I love.
  Then we have Hue, I really like Hue, this is just a simple, everyday colour .

L-R; Illamasqua cream blusher 'Rude', MakeUp Revolution blusher 'Treat', Eyelure Brow Shapers, (bottom left) MakeUp Revolution Mono Eyeshadow Eden.

So I've only just got my hands on MakeUp Revolution and I must admit, I really like it so far! This blusher goes a long way so I only need a tiny bit but it gives me a lovely fresh glow and the eyeshadow is just the most gorgeous green, perfect for a smokey eye with a little bit of colour.

Eyelure Brow Shapers have saved me! We all know how scary it is when you have good brows and you go get them done and you're terrified it's gonna go wrong....well mine did at christmas and my left one still hasn't recovered so I really don't feel like going to get them done any time soon. I found these in Superdrug for about...maybe £3? and they're so good! they're shaped with an arch and luckily it suit my eyebrows perfectly! I got my friend to do mine for me and they worked a treat and I still have all the eyebrows I want but just a lot neater!!

And my trusty Illamasqua cream blusher! Best bargain I think I've bought this year, was £5 in the sale and a little goes a long way!! I use my small E.L.F stipple brush to apply it and it lasts all day!

Barry M Nail Paint Raspberry

This is literally all I have worn all summer long! One of my favourite all time nail colours!!

Favourite snack and drinks right now!!! This Elderflower water from Aldi is a hangover godsend!! I hate normal water but I can drink about 3 bottles of this a day! I probably shouldn't, but I do so....

And Peanut Butter M&M's like seriously, I found these in B&M for £1 a box.... I stocked up....

Oh...and some of my favourite books in the background there....

So there you have it! My August favourites!!

A Little Bit of Love...

I just thought I'd write a quick post on one of my favourite things in the world...underwear!

I love underwear so much, it just makes me feel so nice when I have pretty underwear on, even if no-one see's it! - (which they don't!)

But that's fine because it's about me. I have always struggled with having boobs. I've never been a fan of my own, they were okay when I was younger and they were a C/D, but now I've actually grown and I'm an E/F (depending on where I go) I struggle even more so, because finding nice underwear that doesn't look like my Nan's or finding a bra that doesn't look enormous and like you literally have brightly coloured scaffolding on is a battle when you're on a budget.

I tend to wait for the sales to buy my 'good bra's', because you get some really good ones for a fraction of the price! The Agent Provocateur sales are always pretty amazing!

Most of my underwear is black and I really like vintage inspired underwear, long lines, high waists etc.

Black is just mu colour I guess and I've actually found some pretty nice ones, I've picked up a few sets from George at Asda which are gorgeous but I'll get on with what I'm actually posting about here....

PRIMARK. Yes, Primark.

They have absolutely smashed the underwear over the last year or so, they did a gorgeous, luxury sort of range which they sold as separates, which is perfect for me because if I buy their sets, their bigger sized bra's also come with bigger sized bottoms which don't fit me so this was perfect! And they were perfectly priced, I think I paid no more than £7 for a bra.

I managed to pick up a few before my sizes in the bottoms were gone and they are amazing! They're so comfortable and actually wash well. I mean, I know they're not gonna last me years but hey! They're pretty, they fit and are super affordable so I don't mind repurchasing each season.

They also have upped their game when it comes to sets. I think the sets are around £5 which is amazing and they have loads of different styles and although the sets don't really come in my size, my friend is constantly stocking up and I get super jealous! But every now and then I'll come across a set that that does come in my size and it's like finding a really super, top secret, hidden gem! So keep your eyes peeled!

Prison Stripes

Prison Stripes by thebellejarblog featuring Alexander McQueen

T By Alexander Wang white top
$320 - farfetch.com

Evening pants
oasis.andotherbrands.com

Alexander Wang ankle booties
lanecrawford.com

Prada evening handbag
fashionphile.com

Alexander McQueen wallet
alexandermcqueen.com

Jennifer Meyer Jewelry initial necklace
barneys.com

Jennifer Meyer Jewelry initial necklace
barneys.com

Jennifer Meyer Jewelry rose gold necklace
ylang23.com

Jennifer Meyer Jewelry diamond ring
ylang23.com

Vans

Vans by thebellejarblog featuring black leopard shoes

Vans OTW black leopard shoes
$58 - superette.co.nz

Vans OTW hi top
yoox.com

Vans OTW slip on shoes
vans.com

Vans OTW van
$99 - nelly.com

Vans OTW vans sneaker
dsw.com

Vans OTW red sneaker
$78 - zalando.co.uk

Vans OTW black flat shoes
$75 - zalando.co.uk

Vans OTW vans sneaker
dsw.com

Still Into You.

Still Into You. by thebellejarblog featuring a white blouse

Mango white blouse
$33 - johnlewis.com

Miu Miu pea coat
mytheresa.com

Topshop black high waisted jeans
$70 - topshop.com

Tory burch boots
toryburch.com

Oasis black boots
$115 - oasis-stores.com

CÉLINE celine handbag
bellabag.com

Jennifer Meyer Jewelry diamond ring
barneys.com

Jennifer Meyer Jewelry stackable ring
ylang23.com

Round sunglasses
ahalife.com

What Time Is It??....'TOOL TIME!!'

Anybody else used to watch Home Improvements when they were a kid?! I loved that show!

So after my last post on hair products I use, I thought I'd do a post on the tools I use too!

I am pretty lazy if I'm honest and drying my hair is the bane of my life because it 'clings to water like a bitch!' as my friend once said.

I pretty much go by 'old hair and yesterdays eyeliner always look better'. Beauty bloggers everywhere are probably cursing that! I do take my make up off but I seriously think yesterdays eyeliner looks wayyy better! Anyway, this isn't about make up! This is about hair!

Right, let's get started, this is what I do when I have freshly washed hair...

First of all I use my magic Gliss spray, when I have wet hair, I use a wide tooth comb to detangle, this helps prevent breaking hair, as hair is weak when it's wet. I then go through it with either my tangle teaser or a paddle brush - whichever is around.

Then to blow dry my ends I'll use whatever round brush is around, but if I am blow drying it properly I use two different brushes, I'll use a large barrel brush for volume, and a medium barrel brush for the ends. I use Head Jog brushes, which you can get online if you can't get to a wholesalers. I tend to buy the sets and then just add any extra brushes I need as I go. I think the sets are good value. I'd definitely get a decent brush if you are a regular blow dryer, you don't want to be snagging your hair or getting it caught in the brush. I could do with some new ones myself right now!

Then I have my prized possession. My hairdryer. I love this thing like a child. I have two. A pink one and a black one. My pink one I've had for about 8 years which is genuinely shocking, but that's the one I use for my own hair and I am dreading the day it packs in. It was my first real pro hairdryer.
My black one was part of my college kit, my mother seems to have adopted this one and this is the one I use on other people.
I use Parlux hairdryers. They're not cheap but I would probably only ever use Parlux now. I want a matte black one or a purple or burgundy one for christmas!
One thing I would stress about hairdryers for blow drying, make sure you have decent nozzles. The nozzle on my hairdryer is so skinny in comparison to my sisters hairdryer, it's so narrow but this is perfect for a nice smooth blow dry, because the air flow is more concentrated and focused. Also getting your wrist at the right angle helps. Try not to touch your hair with the nozzle (you don't want burned hair...it stinks!) and point it down so the air is parallel to the hair so it is blowing your hair poker straight..if that makes sense?
So yes, I believe a decent hairdryer and brush are a great investment.

I don't straighten my hair, ever, I only curl it from time to time, normally I just shove it in a bun or braid it before bed and however it is when I take it out in the morning is how I'm having my hair! But when I do curl it, I use the ol' Enrapture Encode Totem Styler. I like this because it's easy to use, you can adjust the heat settings on the three barrels and create your own curls!

I use the odd roller here and there, but only at the front of my head and around my crown for a bit of bounce and volume. I'm not the full head, walking around town kinda girl! I just shove em in while I'm getting ready to go wherever I'm going!


So, that's my little two part hair post done. I quite enjoyed doing these! It's made me want to blow dry my hair a bit more often!

Hairspray. & Other Stuff...

I thought I'd do a little post on my favourite hair products and what I use most often!

I'll be honest, I'm pretty low maintenance so hair products for me tend to be a special occasion kinda thing.

My most used products definitely have to be;

My absolute FAVOURITE shampoo and conditioner of all time, is strangely enough super cheap and unexpected. Its a Morrison's Soak It Up own brand shampoo and conditioner, blueberry and orchid. Not only does this smell ridiculously amazing (I've had people comment -I'm not sure why people were THAT close to me but hey! I'll take it! ) It is the best I have ever used. I know that is a bold statement to make, but it's true. It's about £1.09 a bottle, and they're not small bottles. This stuff makes my hair super manageable, super soft and smooth. My friend recommended it to me while I was in the process of bleaching my hair and nothing was working to help it. Her hair is really long and thick and super coarse and its an absolute nightmare when she washes it and she got me some to try and I haven't used anything else since. It just works. I thank this stuff for still having a full head of hair after all the bleaching and colouring.

Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair Liquid Silk. Man, that's a long name!

This is a leave in 'express repair conditioner', with liquid keratin. I LOVE this stuff. I have really thick hair and it get's really knotted after I wash it, especially after all the colouring I do. I used to use the Loreal kids de-tangling spray after I had washed my hair just to get a brush through it! But I suppose this is the more grown up version because it makes my hair so easy to brush and so soft, and it really has made a super big difference to the condition of my hair. It's a nightmare when I run out and have to brush my hair without it! Or comb should I say, you should use a wide tooth comb when dealing with wet hair, for less breakage etc. learned that nice little tip in college when my tutor was mortified as she watched me dragging a paddle brush through my wet hair!

Tresemme Volume & Lift Mousse

I have never used mousse really, but my hair refuses to stay curly when I curl it and goes flat as a pancake when I try to blow some volume into it! So I decided to just try some because I used to always see it in college and avoid using it because I just imagine it to make my hair.... crunchy. I found this one on offer in Superdrug a while back and thought I'd just try it for when I can be bothered to actually blow dry my hair properly, which isn't very often at all. I decided to try it a month or two ago but then once I had put it in my hair the thought of actually blowing my hair seemed like a nightmare so I just did my usual and threw my head upside down and blasted all of my roots and mid lengths dry, then parted it and blow dried the ends properly (I am the laziest self hairdresser ever) but it really worked!! I actually had volume and lift, so I haven't even bothered blowing it properly yet, I just throw it on and throw my head upside down and VOILA! Perfect! I also curled it a few times and it held my curl a LOT longer than usual!


Reincarnation Mask by Bleach London

THIS STUFF. UGH. I love it. I don't even know what to say about it. Use it.  It works. Makes my hair feel incredible! And you definitely need a decent hair mask to have a proper top to toe pamper. May as well be one that is magical!

They're the main players in my hair game I guess.

I use other products too, but only when I'm making an actual effort I suppose you could say!

I'm a big fan of dry shampoo. I try not to wash my hair too much, I'm training it at the minute to get down to twice a week, eventually I'll get it down to once a week, I just don't think you should wash your hair every day, but I give in every now and then and just feel like I HAVE to wash it, I need to start wearing my hair up more often, I might get away with it more then! BUT I'm getting distracted now by thinking about how to wear my hair up....back to dry shampoo, I grabbed this from Superdrug the other week super fast, I don't even know why, I didn't need it but I was like 'Better to have more in than none!' I didn't read it or anything and when I got home I realised it's 'Killer Volume' dry shampoo by Superdrug and it's boss!! I did wear my hair up the other week and I don't like my hair slick to my head - I'm a bed head kinda gal, so this was great for a bit of volume and a bit of oomph! I think I'll be sticking to this!!


I also like 'After Party' by Bed Head. I was convinced for years this was called 'Party Girl', because a stylist used it on my hair when I was about 15 and I kept calling it that until I worked in a salon that sold Bed Head and I kept asking if we were getting 'Party Girl' in and then I saw it on the shelf and my manager laughed at me because I was like 'Oh, they must have renamed it.'.... they hadn't, I'd just been wrong for years. But yeah, this is nice for when I have blown my hair and it just smooths it and prevents fly aways! You only need a tiny amount AFTER you've done your hair though! So it lasts an absolute age!!


I don't often hairspray my hair, only if I have it curly or up and I can be fussy about my hairsprays, I do not like crunchy or solid hair! I've been using Wella Performance Hairspray since I left college because that's what we used there, it's not a super strong hold, but that's not what I'm after so I really like this and I like the smell too! Wella products actually smell amazing!


And last but definitely not least!... Wella Flowing Form Smoothing Balm. I LOVE this stuff!!! It smells so good and you feel like you have been in a salon when you blow dry with this balm! You don't need a lot and you just put it on before you blow dry your hair (not throw your head upside down) and it just makes your hair silky and smooth. I always use this on my Mum and sister when I blow dry their hair straight because they both have curly hair and this definitely helps smooth it out!!


What are your favourite products?

Do you use any of the ones I've mentioned and like/dislike them?

My next post will be a post on the hair tools I use!

My Bootea Experience.

Well, hello.

I've been meaning to update for a while after my Bootea post but things have been a bit hectic.

Anyways, as for the Bootea, I was going to do a full review, but I can't really do that because I didn't complete it.

Not through lack of willpower however, I ended up passing it on to my friend.

Just thought I would share with you my experience anyway.

I loved the day time tea, that was tasty! I was dreading it, but it was actually really pleasant!

 I think I only got about 4/5 days in because the night time tea left me in agony...No, not in the way you're thinking, my stomach is pretty sensitive so it just didn't sit right with me.

The night time tea was a little harder for me to drink because it has a peppermint flavour and I cannot stand peppermint tea, but it wasn't too bad! I drank the tea around 10pm and woke up in the middle of the night with really bad cramps and I felt sick, this carried on throughout the night and the next day which I didn't like, obviously. But it didn't do it's actual job which I thought was what the cramping was going to lead to, I had been warned about the night time tea!! -I'm trying not to spell it out here, but you know what I mean! I was a little confused and thought maybe it wasn't the tea and maybe something I had eaten ( I'm gluten intolerant so I thought maybe I had eaten something by mistake. - Bootea is gluten free, I asked them before I bought it!) so I tried the tea again on the 3rd night....same thing. So I decided to stop because I couldn't go through that for 7 nights and the days following.

Seriously gutted because I'm sure it would have worked, I noticed my bloating went down a bit by day 2 so I was pretty impressed with that!

I guess it just wasn't for me! I could have just carried on with the day time tea but at the time I was that wary of the night time one I just didn't want it. I might try just the day time one some time in the future though!

So, yes, there are my thoughts on Bootea. If you can stomach it, which most people can, I say go for it!