January Favourites

Hi everyone!

I've decided to jump onto the bandwagon of monthly favourites posts. I did a November Best and Worst, and a 2012 Favourites post, but this is a bit different. Beauty bloggers such as myself can talk all day about products that they like, or even love using, but when a product makes a 'monthly favourites' post, you know it's the best, especially if you've heard about it from a blogger whose opinion you trust. The monthly favourites will feature the 'Creme de la creme' of beauty items, and the items most used, and loved from that month. But as this is A Sprinkling Of Euphoria I will be including books, and other little 'favourites' of the month.  Since it is the beginning month of the new year, a new year of opportunities, I thought that I would try my hand at monthly favourites.

Rimmel 'Princess Pink' Polish: This has been my go-to polish for the month of January. I like the sheer tones for thhe beggining of a new year, especially since I am still having flashbacks of all of the berry nails from the back end of last year. This stuff lasts for ages too, so I can forget about my nails, but trust that they look good.

L'Occitane Mango Flower Hand Cream: This stuff has saved my hands from many hours of cold British weather. It smells AH-MAZING too. Unfortunately, mine has nearly run out; I will definitely repurchase.

Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner: I bought this after Estee from essiebutton.com reved on about it in the mad way that only she can! I am not a fan of other medicated lip products(uurgh-Carmex), but this Blistex is really moisturising, and it doesn't smell too bad!

MUA Undressed Palette: After buying this palette, I have worn nothing else on my eyes. I normally wear a very neutral eye, but jazz it up on the weekends. My absolute favourite colours to wear are shades 3, 9 and 10(shades Naked, Toasted, Hustle from the Naked Palette). This is definitely my favourite eye shadows of the month.

Clean and Clear Morning Burst Skin Energising Daily Facial Wash: I have really been enjoying skincare this month, and I have been loving this Clean and Clear face wash. The little beads in the wash burst on your face, giving you a radiant glow. I have actually been using this at night before bed, and it works a treat then, just as good as in the morning.

Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 App: I have been obsessed with this app during January- it's such a good procrastination tool(oops). I literally completed Years 1-3 in the space of two days with a little help from my sister and Google! Definitely get this if you want an app that you can't stop playing.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: I recieved this book for Christmas, and started reading it a few days afterwards- I had finished it by the end of the afternoon. This book is so sweet, and it really captures the romance of Paris, and it has given me a list as long as my arm of places to visit in Paris! I love this book, and I have already re-read it three times!

Do you have any January Favourites?
Jennifer xx

Hair Routine; Styling Products

In my previous 'hair routine' post, I talked about my in-shower products, but what to do when you get out of the shower? Use styling products! Here are five of my most used styling products for sleek, shiny and healthy looking hair.

L-R Schwarzkopf Supersoft Detangling Spray, Charles Worthington No Frizz Relax and Unwind Cream, TRESemme Finishing Spray, Schwarzkopf Heat Protection Straightening Spray, GHD Obedience Cream


Schwarzkopf Supersoft Detangling Spray
Childish, I know, but I hate brushing my hair after coming out of the shower, especially since my naturally curly hair is at it's knotty prime. And what better to fit my immature problem than a kids detangler. I picked up this Schwarzkopf detangler on a whim, and I don't regret it. It smells amazing, too- like milk and strawberries. And the best bit? It actually works!

Charles Worthington No Frizz Relax and Unwind Cream
I have been using this product for a while now, after purchasing the 'travel-sized' version. I apply this stuff to the ends of my hair on days when I want frizz control, but less of a polished look, and I plan to 'messy-style' my hair.

TRESemme Finishing Spray
This finishing spray has made such a difference in my haircare reigeme. I spray on when my hair is damp, brush through, and by the time my hair is dry, it looks shiny and smooth. Gorgeous!

Schwarzkopf Heat Protection Straightening Spray
Obviously, we all need a heat protectant in our haircare routine(even if we don't use it everyday, or much at all), and my favourite is the Schwarzkopf one. I have tried the
well-reviewed TRESemme heat defence spray, but it just weighed my hair down, and I am much happier with this one.

GHD Obedience Cream
I purchased this from my hairdressers about three months ago, and it has been a life-saver for when I want a super sleek and very polished hair look(for example, when doing a sleek ponytail, or straightening my hair to perfection.) I use literally a pea-sized amount of this stuff(it goes a long way), rub it between my fingers, and kind of tousle it through my hair. After applying, I brush my hair straight, and wash or hand-sanitize my hands as this cream is very sticky on the hands. I highly recommend this product.

What do you use to style damp hair?

Jennifer xx

Managing My Workload

Hey guys, this is a sad post, I'm afraid. I have barely any free time on my hands at the moment, and I have a feeling that in a couple of months, I will have even less. I am always studying and working, and it is sad to say that my blog is the thing that's getting neglected. However much I don't want this to happen, I know that I am not getting any sort of financial gain from this blog, or even that it is helping my studies.

This does not mean that I am going to stop blogging  by any means. I am simply going to work very hard at writing multiple blog posts at one time so that I'm able to publish them on a schedule. also, I am going to be dropping the amount of posts that I write down to about one-two a week. I know that this sounds really pitiful and like I'm not really trying, but this is the only solution that I could think of which enabled me to keep my blog.

I hope that you guys are OK with this, I just don't have the time to keep posting everyday, and for that I'm sorry.
Jennifer xx

Les Misérables

Nine days. I cannot believe that it has taken me nine days to go and watch Les , and another five to blog about it. I'm such a slacker!

What can I even say about Les Mis? The novel was published by Victor Hugo in 1862(same person that wrote the Hunchback of Notre Dame), and was first converted into a play of the same name in 1980, Paris. Now it is being shown in 311 cities all across the globe, and remains one of the most infamour musicals to go and watch. Personally, I haven't actually been to see the musical, but my mum and sister have been to the West End to see it three or four times, and they have always raved on about how good it is.

For  those who don't know, it was converted into a movie(there are already a couple of movie adaptaions) by Tom Hooper for release in 2012- it was released on 11th Jan in Britain. The cast is also incredible: featuring Anne Hathaway, Russel Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, and my personal fvourite Eddie Redmayne, among others. The film has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, too!

Here is the plot line; 
Set in early 19th-century France, it is the story of Jean Valjean, a burly French peasant of abnormal strength and potentially violent nature, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for starving relatives. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him to, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert. Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade.

You guys do not know how hard it is for me not to just sit here telling you about how much I love Eddie Redmayne! He is so good looking, ahh and so talented- it makes me sad! Anyway, I thought that they made this film perfectly. The actors that were cast were all teriffic, especially since they all had to sing really well, too. I do wish that they had included a few more songs with the young Cosette, as I really like hearing her sing, her voice is mesmerising. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by Russel Crowe's performance in this movie-  I wasn't expecting him to have such a good voice, if I'm honest, but he knocked it out of the park!

I love the music in this movie. Apparently, all of the songs were performed live on the set(they were overlain with pre-recorded songs during the editing process), which helped the actors get into the emotional side of the song more, which they did perfectly. Most of the movie was performed in song, I could probably count the number of sentences said, not sung, on one hand. My favourite songs to hear were the ones that had multiple voices singing. for example, the reprise of On My Own, near the end of the film, was mashed up with about five or six main characters singing it, but they were all singing different songs. This created a harmony, but a medley at the same time- it was truly spectacular.

All in all, Les Mis is definitely a movie that I would go and see again, and I will surely be buying the DVD on the day of release! Just watching the movie has made me desperate to get my hands on the novel, to see what it is really like.

Have you seen Les Miserables yet?
Jennifer xx

Hair Routine; In the Shower

Hi guys! Today I am going to be starting a mini-series(you know how much I love my mini-series') all about how I do my hair! 

Apparently blonde hair is not reflective. This is very confusing to me as I always thought lighter colours reflected, and dark colours absorbed, but whatever. Ever since that day when I found out about the reflecting hair thing, it has become my mission to get my hair looking shiny and sleek. While I know that getting nice hair isn't all about the way you style it, great products definitely help me on my mission. 

Here is what I use in the shower;

L-R; Soap and Glory's Clean On Me, Men's Gillette Disposable Razor, TRESemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo, The Body Shop Mango Body Scrub, TRESemme Deep Cleansing Conditioner

DIY Brush Holder

After purchasing a few more brushes recently(blog post coming soon), I have come to realise that they don't actually fit in my current brush holder. So, what else could I do but make a new one?

I started with some paper, my brushes, some scissors, sellotape, and an empty tub. My tub is a quicky finished White Hot Chocolate tub from Whittards, but you can use a different size tub according to how many brushes it will be holding.

To start, I cut a srtip of my 'base' paper t fir the tub,and wrapped it round, securing with sellotape(you will be covering it, so he sellotape doesn't really matter).

The finishes result! On to the next step:

Next measure out the the top layer to cover the tub. Be super careful with this because it will show when you glue it on. I folded over the top of my paper, just to create a cute little trim!

Here is the finished product.

I put stones(the kind that go in the bottom of flower vases) in the tub to hold the brushes upright. The stones are quite big, so I think that I will be on the lookout for  some smaller ones.

Here is the finished product! I made a smaller one for my eye brushes(not pictured), keeping up with the spotty theme. 

How do you hold your brushes?

Jennifer xx

Sorry that some of my brushes were looking a bit dirty. I have a cleaning my brushes post coming up soon!

MUA Undressed Palette

I bought the MUA Undressed Palette! This has been on my wishlist for some time, but I was yet to buy it until a couple of days ago. I bought this for to reasons. 1. I obviously(not) need yet another neutral palette, and 2. I was sucked into the 'Urban Decay dupe' marketing of this product.

 The MUA palette is supposedly a complete dupe of the Urban Decay Naked palette. The Naked palette is one which has been on my lustlist radar for about a year now, but at £36, there is no way. However, the purse friendly MUA alternative comes in at 9 times less, a very cheap £4. From what I can tell, the matte shades in the MUA palette are of a lower quality than those in the Naked palette, but the metallic shades are obviously very pigmented, and sometimes even more so than in the Naked palette(e.g. Gunmetal).

 Urban Decay on the left, MUA on the right; shade names and swatches.

Would you buy the MUA Undressed palette?

Jennifer xx

The swatches are gratefully used from Miss Budget Beauty blog, and annotated  by moi.

How To; Galaxy Nails

Today is a  very exciting day- it might snow! I know that it is a common perception that every Christmas in England is a snowy white one, but I have only had one white Christmas in my life. However, it looks like it's going to be a snowy January 18th, so I'll keep you posted on that. Also, check out this girl on YouTube- she has only just started making songs, but is just fifteen, and really good.

Random fact; I love the stars. It makes me really sad that city and town lights block out the lights of the stars, so you can't see them shine. I recently saw a picture of 'galaxy' style nails, and immediately started trying to re-create them. Here is my tutorial of how I did it.

The final product

To get galaxy nails, I painted a base and then added to it layer by layer of colour, with a dry, clean sponge(make-up, or cleaning).

1.  Paint your nails with a base coat. 

2. Paint two coats of your favourite deep navy or black polish. I used a navy creme colour, but a shimmer navy would look gorgeous too. 

3. Dab a thin, random pattern of white polish over the top of the blue.

4.  Dab light pink over the blue and white.

5. Dab a layer of shimmer purple polish down the center of the nail.

6. Lastly, dab some silver glitter all over the nail, to recreate the millions of stars in the sky.

Finish with a  super shiny top coat.

I was feeling very lazy when I pained this nail, so I only did one; my index finger on each hand. I painted the rest of my nails with a bright candy pink colour, which really complemented the slight pink swirl on the starry nail.

Would you try astronomy nails?

Jennifer xx

New Year Superdrug Haul

I cannot believe that it has taken me fifteen days of the new year to buy something. Wow, am I turning over a new leaf? Aha, I think not, since I purchased all beauty related products.

MUA Undressed palette // MUA Pro-Base Conceal and Brighten Kit // MUA cream blush in Dolly

The MUA Undressed palette has been on my wishlist for what seems like an age. Rumoured to be an exact dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palette, how could I resist?

A new product appears on the MUA range, and I just had to check it out. The MUA pro-base range  launched in the beginning of January, and I am excited to see more of this range as the year progresses.

The MUA cream blushes have been around for a while, and I was yet to purchase them, until today. Dolly is the shade I choose, and it is a gorgeous coral colour, which I am sure to wear more in the spring and summer.

 NYC Expert Last Nail Polish in Classy Glassy

I'm currently using a top coat that I made from pouring a collection of half empty clear polishes into one bottle. This bottle is now diminishing- purely proving that I paint my nails too much. Since clear polish is a staple in my life, I needed a replacement, and soon. This NYC clear coat is my all time favourite; it dries incredibly fast, and looks very glossy on the nails.

Coconut Oil (Superdrug Own Brand)

After reading about The Body Shop's coconut oil, I have wanted to buy some. Basically, it is a hard paste, which you warm with your fingers. This can be used to smooth your hair, or as a very rich body oil. I wanted to get a cheaper coconut oil, to see if I liked it, and if I do, then splurge on The Body shop's version. 

Have you bought anything since the beginning of 2013? 

Jennifer xx

Miranda Kerr at Golden Globes

Miranda Kerr is one of my absolute favourite models, and it's really no surprise that she stunned yesterday at the Golden Globes. She was there supporting her husband, the ever-gorgeous Orlando Bloom, at the awards.

She looked amazing in a plum Zac Posen gown. Here is a link to a make-up look for Miranda Kerr, but I would wear a plum lipstick, like she did on the red carpet, if you wanted to recreate her look. I like Revlon Black Cherry or MAC Rebel lipstick.

Who was your favourite style icon at the Golden Globes?

Jennifer xx

Pre-Fall Collections

Pre-Fall for 2013 collections are just in, and obviously I had to share them with you. There are definite themes running through all of these pre-fall collections. The collections mainly feature nautral colour palettes, and leather. Oversized coats and just-over-the-knee styles made multiple appearances. Also, I love the embroidered patterns and satin-y finishes on some of the garments. I am very excited to read my favourite street-style blogs in the 'pre-fall', to see some of these looks in real life.  

BARBARA BUI

CARVEN

CÉLINE

CHLOÉ

ERDEM

STELLA MCCARTNEY

What  collections are you looking forward to for the fall?

Jennifer xx

How To; A Glowing Complexion

Hi everyone...

We all want a flawless, air brushed complexion, don't we? Well, I have a few ideas to try that will give you a glowing, spotless face, in a short amount of time, instead of having to cake on foundation by the barrel load! Uugh, I hate the stuff- never wear it - it's too thick for me. Also, just a quick fact- your skin works in six week cycles, when a new layer of skin is 'born'. If you ate crappy foods and didn't wash six weeks ago, you will be paying for it now, so healthy skin is important.

Also, your skin, especially on your face creates a natural oil called sebum. The production of this oil can be exaggerated by your daily routine. Anyways, here they are;

1. Eat and drink healthy foods. Drinking lots of water (8 glasses a day) will help your skin to become clearer, and it will do wonders inside your body too. Eating fatty, greasy foods will make your skin oily, and you will probably breakout in spots- an no one wants that.

2. Asses your skin an decide if you need to see a doctor or a specialist. Everyone gets spots, but if you think that you're suffering from acne, go a consult with your local doctor. Last year i was feeling really self-conscious abut the amount of spots that seemed to be appearing on my face, so i went to the doctor and tried a few prescriptions out. It took a few tries to get the dosage right, but now i am much happier with my skin. If in fact you are suffering from acne, they can provide you with medication to prevent it from escalating and leaving you with scars. Just so you know- you do not get acne because you are dirty, it's a gene thing, so don't put yourself down.

3. Know what's right for your face. Using the right creams and scrubs for you can make a world of difference to your complexion. Personally, I have very sensitive skin, so I use only a few facial products, mostly Simple. Using a brightening face scrub once a week also helps to revive your skin and make it glow. I love the Clean and Clear face scrub; I have the yellow one, it smells great and really makes your face radiant. Also, having a toner will help to keep your skin soft yet supple, I like the L'Oreal Paris one, it's pink, and it works well.

I do hope that you try my tips, and achieve glowing, beautiful skin. If you have any tip of your own, please share them in the comments!

Jenny xx

Beauty Forecasting for 2013

To follow trends is something of a debate in the fashion and beauty world. Shouldn't one be setting the trends, not following them? But ultimately designers set the bar for what will be on trend in forthcoming seasons, and everyone else mimics this, but tries to put their unique spin on it.

I love seeing what to expect trend-wise, and I can tell that twenty thirteen will be bringing some crazy exciting fashion and beauty movements.

Beauty
Why do I get so much joy from looking at the forecasted beauty trends for the upcoming seasons? 

Braids;

Braids were all over the runway in NY fashion week, and I can tell that this look is going to be a big hit for twenty thirteen. My favourite ways to braid my hair is a fishtail braid or a princess crown braid.

Pink Eyeliner;

Again, straight from the catwalk, but isn't the pink eyeliner look fabulous? Sure, you do look a bit ill, but it's quite edgy. I like wearing pink eyeliner with a gold shimmer shadow, and just as a thick line on the lid(not under eye).

Matte Lips;

Already a big trend at the end of 2012, what with the Kate Moss matte collection(among other) launching, but in 2013, I can see matte lips getting even bigger.

Emerald;

The Pantone colour of the year for 2013 is Emerald(more on this in a later post), and I suspect this will inspire many beauty looks and runway styles.

Metallic Eyes;

A big hit in 2012, especially with the release of super metallic-y cream eyeshadows(Maybelline colour tattoo, anyone?), and I think that this trend will continue to grow in 2013. Keep your eye out for gun metal metallics as this was the colour that was all over the S/S13 catwalks.

CC Creams;

With the promise of a less oily texture, better coverage, more moisturising consistency and brightening powers, CC creams will be making their debut in beauty for 2013. After having heard about these in September of 2012, I was already intrigued by their benefits overriding BB creams, and have been waiting for their release for 2013(Olay are to be releasing one very soon).

Bare Faced;

A contrast to a lot of the other trends mentioned, the bare faced, natural look was favoured on the catwalks for 2013, and I think it is one that will make a great appearence in advertising campaigns and magazine editorials. Also, it means less effort for us!

What beauty trends are you looking forward to in 2013?

Jennifer xx

2013 To-Do-List

I know that the thought of writing new years resolutions is one that scares some people. And, to be honest, it kinda scares me too! There is always so much pressure to achieve the certain goals that you set out, which I think is one of the reasons that so many people give up. However, I have come up with a solution; a new year's to-do-list. A to do list is such a great way to keep organized, and I just love writing them so that I get to experience that proud feeling when you can tick something off!

This fun little DIY project I made can 

be pinned up somewhere to inspire you all year round, and is totally personalized and custom to you. Here is how I made it;

Step 1; I wrote my list. This isn't my proper resolutions, but this list is just some fun things that I really want to do in 2013,e.g go to the zoo and (finally) buy a MAC lipstick!

Step 2; I wrote up my list on the computer. I used the programme Paint because I thought that it would be the easiest way to make the image. I used lots of bright colours and creative fonts, but you can really personalize your list here.

Step 3; Print out your list, and gather some coloured paper.

Step 4; You will need: picture frame, scissors, coloured backing paper, your list, a hock nailed into the wall.

Step 5; Assemble! Layer your coloured paper behing you cut-out list in the picture frame. Then hang the frame on the wall. Here is my finished project, and I'm sure that it will inspire me all year!

What would you like to do this year?

Jennifer xx