Red; Get Taylor Swift's Look

Hi everyone! So, as you probably all already know, i am a massive self-confessed Taylor Swift fan, and what better way to celebrate the release of her new album, Red, on the 22nd of October, than a make-up tutorial?

Taylor was featured on the American issue of Glamour magazine, which is out October 9th, but I came across this cover picture the other day, and thought that she looked gorgeous. Here is the cover;

• Taylor is pictured wearing a Burberry sequined vest top with a belt and skirt by Dior, but if you don't have these items(who would?), you can recreate her look by layering a long sparkly vest top over a netted red maxi skirt. Cinch you waist with a red belt to finish off the look!

• To get her manicure, I suggest using a rich and vibrant red varnish. Something like OPI's The Thrill of Brazil would work perfectly.

• To recreate Taylor's  gorgeous hair, use a wide barrel curling tong to curl large sections of your hair. Separate out the curls a bit, and then back-brush you hair by the roots to give volume. Clip a fringe section on either side of our face back, and cover the clips with hair. Use your fingertips to rough it up a bit, and then secure with a quick spritz of hair spray.

• To look as pretty as Taylor Swift(is it even possible?), I suggest using a great foundation which matches you skin tone perfectly. By choosing your favorite foundation in the correct tone, you can achieve a smooth and flawless base for the rest of your make-up.

• Use a bright red lip liner a lipstick to recreate Taylor's iconic lip look. MAC's new Marilyn Monroe collection lipstick in shade 'Scarlet Ibis' is a perfect match with its bright colour and slight orange undertones. I suggest putting a small amount of clear gloss on the middle of your lower lip to make your lips look fuller, like Taylor's. Using 'Redd' lip pencil from MAC as a lip liner would work well.

• To duplicate Taylor's slightly flushed cheeks, I recommend using the by. Don't use any highlight o your cheeks, as this would ruin the matte finish of her make-up, but do apply a small amount of face brightening primer on to your cheeks and cheekbones after before your foundation to see a slight radiance in your face; Benefit's 'That Gal' face brightening primer is truly brilliant. I recommend using a dull rose blush to achieve Taylor's cheek look. Something like one layer of  NARS's cream blush(which dries into a powder- awesome, right?) in 'Penny Lane' would give you her look.

• To imitate her eye make up I suggest using the Shadow Bon Bons palette from the Too Faced Christmas collection, 2012. Start by covering the eyelid in Vanilla, from the lash-line to the eyebrows. Next, and this is all about layering, take a small amount of Coffee Bean on a eyeshadow brush and apply it in small circular motions in the crease of your eyelid, creating a winged effect when you look in the mirror. Top this with a layer of Marzipan lower down on the eyelid, from the outer-crease right to the other side, by your tear duct. After this add quite a few strokes of Candy rose over where you applied Coffee Bean, and finish with a thin layer of Hot Cocoa.

• Finally, Finishing off her look, curl your eyelashes, and apply 3 coats of brown or black mascara(I think that brown mascara would work really nicely with the eyelid colours) on your upper and lower lashes. Make sure the outer lashes thicker coated, achieving a very winged look.

And there you have it! Beauty perfection to match Taylor Swift's! I hope you enjoyed this style of blog post, let me know if you think I should do more posts like this.

The 2nd of October saw the single release of Red, a song off her forthcoming album. Here it is for you to enjoy, and perhaps listen to when your recreating her cover look? check it out, I love it!

Have a great week!

Jenny xx

An Apple A Day...

Hey guys, as the Winter months approach (I can't even pretend that its summer anymore. I was so cold last night that i had to wear socks in bed; I haven't had to do that in, like 8 months!), one thing which I appreciate more than ever is apples. I love apples, but only he crunchy kind, and in Winter, when they're not growing, i really begin to miss them. So, here are a few ideas of what to do with your apples this Winter (ooh, that sounded like a euphemism-it wasn't!);

The first thing I found was this really yummy looking apple stack with chocolate spread and peanut butter! All you do is slice the apples into rings and remove the core Place the first apple slice on a plate and top with chocolate or chocolate hazelnut spread. Follow this with a second layer of apple and peanut butter this time and top with he last layer of apple. You can spinkle some granola, chocolate chips or coconut on the top, and just eat it like a sandwich.

I saw this picture the other day, but with no recipe. I guess you would just hollow out the apple and pour apple cider or apple juice in it. This would be really nice with hot apple cider, but you would have to drink it fast otherwise the apple would go soggy and warm.

Next thing i found was this super interesting article about how apple cider vinegar is a great treatment for you hair. It says that apple cider vinegar (which I class as apples, just for he purpose of this blog post!), can be used as a rinse after shampooing (funny word!) to tighten the hair cuticle and help them to lay flatter, improving shine. Apple cider vinegar also boosts conditioner efficiency, which basically means that the vinegar will help to 'lock' in your conditioner. Also, the apple cider vinegar is great at removing shampoo residue, letting your natural heir shine through!

And, lastly, here is another recipe, and it looks delicious! An apple cider triple layer cake, perfect for Autumn and Winter afternoons, or served warm as dessert with ice-cream. The cake is so easy to make as well, which is always nice!

I hope that your autumn days are spent well looked after with cake and shiny hair! Let me know if the Cider Vinegar hair tricks work well.

Jenny xx

Oh, Autumnal Joy

Hey everyone! Normally people whine and get depressed about the summer being over during September and October but, my glass being half-full and all, I want to be the kind of person that embraces the new season, not someone who gets sad that their tanning time is over.

So, i thought that today was the perfect day to write about what I love about the fall.

I love that nature decides to change all of the leaves into a perfect and ever unique pigmented shade, and the crispness and crunch of them under your big autumn boots, with your fluffy socks, of course.

I love the feeling of pulling on a baggy jumper and snuggling down to read a good book, or watch your favorite movie. I Like wearing cardigans under and over anything and everything- god knows i have too many!- sweatpants are a favorite, but slippers are the best. I love sinking my feet into my fur-lined (fake, obvs) stripy slippers, and thights with literally everything! It's just so comforting!




Hallowe'en is another favorite for fall, being to old to Trick or Treat without getting weird looks, I simply enjoy giving out candy and sweets to little children who knock at my door. I do know quite a few people who shut off their lights and close the curtains until Hallowe'en night is over, but it just isn't right; Hallowe'en is so much fun!

There are so many more things which I enjoy about Autumn but this last one is probably my favorite: candles. My mum says that i'm a pyromaniac, but i just consider it a self-confessed candle addiction that starts with 'they smell sooooo good', all the way to 'but the flame is so pretty'. a recent candle which I've been burning is a Hazelnut Creme on from Walmart last year- mmm, it smells delicious.

Whats your favorite thing about Autumn? Let me know...
Have a great October!
Jenny xxx

Thinking Time

Hey guys, had a good day? Lovely.

Just a quick post today, regarding your 'Thinking time'. Do you have a thinking time? I think that ideas and thoughts often come to me while I'm in the shower, or right before I go to sleep.

I guess the shower one is because I have free time to not concentrate on anything specific, so ideas for blogs, and to do lists for example, just pop into my head. The same thing happens right before I go to sleep, while I'm all tucked up cosy in my bed. That is why I have a little post-it note pad and pen on my bedside table; they're great for jotting down reminders and thoughts before forgetting them during the night. Kind of like a diary, but more goal orientated. I never could write diaries- I always got too bored, my life is really not that interesting.

Anyway, do you have a thinking time, or is that just weird me...? Oooh, maybe you have a thinking space too? - share all with me in the comments.

Jenny xx

Looking Good For Charity

Hey guys, so guess what i purchased the other day? A lipbalm which makes your lips look (and smell) nice and helps promote good causes!


So, i got the 'Body Shop Foundation' charity lip balm. It smells soooo good! It is supposed to smell like dragon-fruit, but i wouldn't have guessed it; it just smells really fruity and fresh. Whenever I get it out all of my friends demand to smell it- it's actually pretty funny. this is what a dragon-fruit looks like, in case you were wondering. They can be pink or white on the inside and have lots of edible tiny black seeds, kind of like a kiwi. And the best part? They have pink skin! How cute!

So, I hear you ask, how does this luscious smelling lip balm benefit anything other than my lips? Well, when i bought this lip balm they presented my with a little green token which i could put in a charity box. these charity boxes are near the till at the body shop, and there are three, each supporting a different cause. One was to help stop bulling in school, another was to stop animal testing and the third was for an organisation which helped to restore peace and give food and protection to poor, vulnerable people in third world countries. Basically, when the lip balm is discontinued(which i imagine will be in a few months), the tokens in each box will be added up for every store in the world, and money will be donated according to the 'most popular' cause.

The lip balm did set me back £4, but I simply adore the Body Shop lip products as they make my lips feel so smooth and moisturized, and it was for charity. I put my token in the animal testing box because don't think that enough recognition is going towards that area, and it felt nice to contribute my vote.

I'm not saying that you should go and buy this product, but if you need a new lip balm this autumn, why not try and help someone in the process?

Jenny xx

The Sky is Freaking Everywhere!

OMG! What can I even say about this book!? Well, for one thing, it did mess up my posting schedule, i was all ready to upload a blog about the miraculous wonder of hair oils when I picked 'The Sky is Everywhere' by Jandy Nelson up from my local library, and didn't stop reading it for three hours straight, until I had finished it! I just knew i had to tell you about it.

I'm sure that some of you reading this will have read it, because it did come out at least two years ago, but for those who have absolutely no idea what i'm on about, here is a little synopsis;

"Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey.
But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding."


Sounds good, right? Well, its better. this book is written in such a poetic and lovey way, its hard not to fall in love with the characters, to feel their heartbreaks, to almost hear the sounds of clarinets and see Joe's brilliant smile on every page. But, this is a sad book. The main focus is living after a death, coping with grief and accepting that it's OK to love after a trauma. And even though that is the message binding the story together, not once did i think 'this has gotten so depressing that i want to stop reading.' I loved exploring all of the ways which the charaters developed and the new places which they went to.

And, let me tell you now, there is a lot of deep stuff in this novel. This novel is the kind of poetic and meaningful life that i think i would lead in a fairytale world (minus the death part). It's just so romantic and perfect, it literally could not get any better.

There is actually a video about the plot, which is quite fun;

I hop you enjoy this book if you read it(you will!), tell me what you think!
Jenny xx

Get the Gossip; Cloudy Jello?, How to Remove Glitter Polish and more...

Hey guys, how are you all? For today's: Get the Gossip, I have some really cool things to share!

Check out this really cool fact picture thing about stardust- it made me smile!

So, second thing that I found was this awesome Sky-like Jelly which is blue with actual cloud shapes in it. this just looks so cool; I would LOVE to try and make this. although, mine would probably turn out into an ugly grey mixture that fails to set! Please send me a picture if you try this, i really want to see how it works out!

The next thing that I discovered is some really useful advice on how to take off glittery nail varnish. Whenever I try and take it off all of the sparkle jest gets stuck on my fingertips for days! This article taught me to lay a piece of cotton wool soaked in nail varnish remover on your glittery nails, and cover each nail in a kitchen foil wrap. You leave this wrap on for about 7 minutes and just pull off the entire wrap along with the removed nail polish after the time is up. This little trick takes a little time, but you could do it in front of the TV or something; it really works.  

Next is a song which has been on replay on my iPod all week; I Would Do Anything For You, by foster the People.

and Lastly....

Don't you just love the power of nature? This unbelievable rock can be found in Michigan, and it's called 'Turnip Rock' and I just thinks it's spectacular! I would love to visit it!

I hope you enjoyed sharing my finds this week- leave me a comment if you've found anything fun this week!

Jenny xx

NY Fashion Week; My Favorites

Hey Girlies! Hope you've had a fab day! So, today I just wanted to share my favorite finds from the midSeptember's New York Fashion Week, showcasing designer creations for Spring 2013. Here's what I liked the best;

Indian inspired couture at Marchesa

Pastels at J.Mendel

I just love Zac Posen; every runway show.

Love the lace at Dennis Basso

Cool prints and shapes at Cynthia Rowley

Bright orange at Douglas Hannant

I hope you enjoyed seeing my round-up of my favorite garments from New York Fashion Week 

Be sure to share with me your favorite finds!

Jenny xx

DIY; Initial Journey

Hey everyone! How has your week been so far? well, it's nearly the weekend, so don't panic!

So today i wanted to share with you a really cool idea for decorating your bedroom wall, or just anywhere that needs a little funky TLC!

I found this idea here, and basically, all that you do is get a 3D letter or shape (I think that a heart would be really cute!), and cover it in a road map. You simply need to trace around a road map, maybe of your favourite place?, cut it out and glue it onto the 3D shape. And you can even put little toy cars on it, kinda like they're driving!

Let me know if you try this-  it just looks super cool!

Jenny xx

Did you have the epiphany yet?

OMG- just had a major realisation moment!

Here are a few photos which helped me to reach this, I challenge you to not have a moment(you will fail...)


Thank you to psycofactz.tumblr.com for inspiring me! The photos really just got me thinking, how did i not know that?! All of these little facts make total sense now that i see them written out in front of me...

;

Did you have the epiphany yet?

jenny xx

Shirtless!

One thing that I love about summer is that guys can take their shirts off and it be deemed socially acceptable. HEHE! But now that we are in mid-september, i guess this pic will have to do!

Here is a photo that I found on weheartit.com recently, and i thought that all of you single girlies out there would appreciate it!

Here it is;

Isn't that fun! ahaa

Jenny xx

The Mortal Instruments Review

Hey everyone! I hope you're having a great day!

Today is supposed to be a book review, which it is, but before i get on to that... i just waned to take a minute to express my sadness as yesterday was the anniversary of the 9/11 attack. this attack really was, and still is a tragedy, and i am sincerely sorry for those of you who were personally effected by it. My thoughts are with you.

Anyway, now that the sad part is over...Today I wanted to tell you about this awesome book series which i really enjoyed reading- The Mortal Instruments. Cassandra Clare; 5 books: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and one set to be released next year; City of Heavenly Fire.

These books, the latest installment was released in May of this year, really are amazing. The plot lines are so intense and unexpected- i just love it. But since it was a bit confusing to explain the whole plot (what? there are 5 books!), i thought that this summary would suffice. Its a brilliant one from here.

  A girl named Clary, supposedly typical at first, lives with her single mother. Her father for a reason her mother would never tell was just never around. Clary has one best friend, Simon and her mom's good friend Luke to whom she is close to. One day, Simon and Clary wanted to go out but Clary's mom didn't want her to for a strange reason. Plus, she kept talking to Luke in hushed tones as if they were both really worried about something.
  That same night, Clary went out anyway, even though her mom insisted for her not to,at a club with Simon, she spots 2 guys with knives attempting to kill a boy she believes is innocent. Let's not get into details, she soon finds out that her mother isn't who she thought she was and that she had hidden a lot from her daughter. Her mother is captured that same night which makes her unable to get the answers she wants. She meets people with whom she really belongs with: Shadowhunters. 
  Their job is to mainly protect humans from bad vampires or werewolves or faeries and even warlocks. There is also creatures called demons. One of the shadowhunters she meets is called Jace and they have their own little love story, but things happen and the course of true love doesn't really run smooth. In the 3rd and 4th book, Jace is in danger and his brother and sister Isabelle and Alec help Clary and her best friend Simon save him.

There is currently work happening on the sets of Hollywood, turning these fansastic books into a movie, but I think that the casting is all wrong! When i was reading the books, this is how i saw it;

Alex Pettyfer as Jace























Karen Gillan as Clary

Dylan O'Brien as Simon




















Crystal Reed as Isabelle

















Robbie Amell as Alec



















These books really are amazing- i truly recommend them! If you read them, let me know what you think!
Jenny xx

Neon Lipstick;I Dare You!

Hey guys! I had a great day today- I finally got my own laptop! Its this really awesome Toshiba, which I am typing on right now! Ahh, it's so nice to have my own!

Anyway, that's not what this post is about. As the fall approaches (unfortunately), I really don't wish to be all glum because the summer has ended. Therefore, this week I wholeheartedly DARE you to wear the brightest lipstick you own!

Brighten your smile, get a super confidence boost, and extend the summer as long as you can.

Good Luck!
Jenny xx

Make Your Own Edible Spoons

Hey guys! I had a great day today, I hope your's was great too!

So I found this awesome idea online the other day- Edible Spoons! Basically, you make these edible spoons and then put hor d'ourves on them- and absolutely No washing up; result!

To make the spoons all you need is a slice of bread, which you flatten with a rolling pin. Then you use a spoon shaped cutter to cut out spoons from the slices of bread. Next, you place the spoon cut-outs onto actual spoons which you bake in the oven until they become crispy. By placing them on the spoons, they will be spoon shaped when they are taken out of the oven.

This nifty little invention is so perfect for when friends come over for dinner, or you want to serve up something impressive on short notice. You can buy a spoon-making set online, which includes molds and cutters, but honestly? You don't really need it. You could just use a knife to cut the spoon shape, and a normal spoon as the baking mold.

Let me know if you try it, and what you put on the spoon!
Jenny xx

Diving

Have you ever been scuba diving?

Two years ago, in the summer of 2010, my family and I went on holiday to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

As our resort was literally 100metres from the beach, we had to go scuba diving. I guess you would call it snorkelling actually- we didn't have the big tanks and stuff, only a mask and flippers with a snorkel.

Sharm el Sheikh has some of the prettiest fish ever, and I kid you not, I actually saw a purple glowing fish the size of my big toe! It was too cute! But I also saw a barracuda shark, and told my younger sister. She of course freaked out, and point blank refused to enter the sea again on that holiday- eh, her loss.

Snorkelling is really cool, you should try it sometime. I just wish I bought a waterproof camera with me!

Did you go diving this summer?

Jenny xx

Hottest Athletes 2012

How did everyone enjoy the London Olympics?

Being on holiday for most of it, I only managed to watch a couple of hours of it with foreign commentating. However, the few events that I did watch were mostly spent oogling at the fittest athletes my sister and I could see. Hot bodies and incredible athletic talent, what more could you want? Appreciating the exellence, i like to call it... Here are the best we could find:

Pascal Behrenbruch, a decathlon competitor for Germany looks pretty fine in his competing get-up. 

Diving superstar and competitor for Team GB, Tom Daley is among the best looking of his field. Also, his teeth are just perfect, aren't they? And those Speedos...

 Kevin Mayer, of France. this decathlon athlete didn't place this year, but definitely gets commended by us for his good looks!

And lastly, American swimmer Ryan Lochte looks super fit in his speedos. His face is too cute!

ahhh, soo sweet!

Well, I hope you have enjoyed the Olympics as much as I certainly have! ahaa

Jenny xx