Summer Favourites // 2015

Hello everyone,

It's finally Summer! As much as I love the cold weather, I really love Summer too. I love taking my dog for a walk early in the morning when the weather is the perfect temperature, I love swimming and I love having the sun shining through my bedroom window all day every day. 

I decided it would be nice to share my Summer favourites, both beauty and fashion. I don't buy new things enough to do monthly favourites, so I am thinking of doing favourites for each season. What do you think - do you like that idea? 

My first favourite is the Sephora Chocolate Smoothing Body Scrub. I got this for my birthday, and I have fallen in love with it! It smells of real chocolate, and it leaves your skin feeling so soft and smooth. I try to use body scrubs more frequently in Summer, as your legs are less hidden by your clothes. The only bad thing about this scrub is the quantity. It only comes with 140mL, and I would love it if it contained more. 

My next two favourites are summery-coloured nail polishes. The first one is the Natio Nail Colour in Lily. It is a pearly white colour, so it isn't just white. It has a slight pink tinge and I adore wearing this colour in Summer. The second nail polish is the Rimmel 60 Second nail polish in Breakfast in Bed. It is a lovely shade of blue that reminds me of beachy colours, making it a perfect nail polish for summer. It dries in more than 60 seconds, but not much more, which is perfect for my impatient self.

The last beauty favourite is the Body Shop Wild Argan Oil shower gel. I love it's subtle, natural scent for summer. It also comes in a little bottle, great for taking with you on your Summer holiday! 

Now onto the fashion favourites! 

I recently bought new sandals for Summer, and I absolutely love them! I bought them from Novo shoes, 40% off. I love how easily they can be dressed up or down for any occasion. Wearing them with denim shorts or jeans with a white top looks casual and effortlessly fashionable. They could also be paired with a nice, black dress and look just as fancy as the dress. I love the rose gold detailing, and because the bottom is padded, they provide comfort and support. 

My next favourite are some pyjama shorts. I really like pyjama shorts, there are so many cute designs and patterns on them! These shorts from Sussan have a very tropical pattern, great for summer. The pink flowers and birds really stand out against the deep blue background. I always pair these shorts with either a grey, white or pink t-shirt. 

Before I go, I just want to wish you all a happy new year! This year has been a really great one, and it feels like just yesterday I was posting my first blog post recipe for the Easter cake I made. I hope you all had a wonderful 2015, but let's make 2016 even better!

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Merry Christmas // 2015

Merry Christmas everyone!!

I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, spent with loved ones. I hope you have an amazing day! 

I can't believe 2015 is almost over - where has the time gone? It feels like just yesterday I was starting out this blog in April this year and writing about my Easter Cake!

Have a fun day and enjoy this festive holiday,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

My Christmas Playlist // 2015

Photo: headphones on top of "Merry Xmas Everyone" drawing on calendar

Hello everyone, 

It's Christmas Eve!! How excited are you for tomorrow? I think I am literally buzzing! For todays Christmas post, I thought I would share with you guys my Christmas Playlist. I've been listening to this non-stop since the start of December!

I find that Christmas music is what gives me the most holiday spirit. That and Christmas present shopping! 

I have a mix of old songs and more recent covers of classics. I have some songs I love musically, but some I listen too just because they get me a festive mood. I also have a few double ups of songs with multiple people singing the original song because I like both versions.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
♥
Last Christmas - Taylor Swift
Santa Baby - Taylor Swift
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Jingle Bell Rock - Glee Cast
Baby It's Cold Outside - Glee Cast
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One More Sleep 'Til Christmas - The Muppets
♥
Merry Christmas, Darling - the Carpenters
♥
Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande
Last Christmas - Ariana Grande
Winter Thinga - Ariana Grande
♥
Mistletoe - Justin Bieber
♥
All I Want For Christmas - Mariah Carey
♥
Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens
♥
White Christmas - Michael Buble
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Michael Buble
Holly Jolly Christmas - Michael Buble
♥
Christmas the Whole Year Round - Sabrina Carpenter
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Ave Maria - Christina Perri
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Baby It's Cold Outside - Ella Fitzgerald (and Louis Jordan)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Ella Fitzgerald
♥
Under the Christmas Tree - Kelly Clarkson
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Christmas Lights - Coldplay
♥
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Bing Crosby
♥

What are some of your favourite Christmas songs? 

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

Nail Polish Photo Frame // DIY

Hello everyone,

It's almost Christmas!! I'm super excited, and I'm getting pretty festive. I've also been Christmas shopping and buying presents for people.

Something I love doing to save money and making a gift more personal is making DIY gifts.

I recently tried this DIY out and I really love it, and thought it would be useful to share with you guys just incase you wanted to do this gift idea for a friend or family member. It's a decorated photo frame, and I've painted a design on it using nail polish - how cool is that!

(Just ignore the example picture in the frame! I should've taken it out but i forgot hahah)

You will need:

♥ A plain wooden photo frame ♥

♥ Nail polish ♥

♥ Sticky tape (only if you want straight lines on your design) ♥

I bought a cheap photo frame for less than five dollars from the Reject Shop, and it was perfect as it was wooden, a flat surface and the frame itself was quite wide so there was more space to put the design.

The first thing I did was place some sticky tape on the frame so I could use it as a stencil for dead straight lines. I painted in between the tape, waited around 30 seconds then removed the tape. Make sure your tape is pressed down fully onto the frame, otherwise the nail polish could seep under the tape and create messy lines.

After I had all the lines I wanted, I just dotted the nail polish around until I achieved my desired look.

I absolutely love how mine turned out, and now I want to do this on all my photo frames! I also think this is a perfect gift idea for Christmas, and the receiver will love that you put time and effort into personalising their gift.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I hope this fun and creative post made up for my extended absence, but I've missed posting, too. Now I'm back on schedule :)

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Taking A Break

Hello everyone,

My end of year tests are coming up, and I've been struggling with balancing studying, dance and my blog, so I think I am just not going to post for three weeks, and by then all my tests will have been completed. 

I will start posting again as soon as my exams are over :)

Wish me luck!

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Nude By Nature Brush Set Review

 Hello everyone,

So recently I purchased the Nude By Nature Brush Kit, as it had many different makeup brushes that I had heard were great quality, and it was pretty cheap. It was $29.95, but it contained 8 different tools.

It contains:

- a kabuki brush

- a defining powder brush

- an eyeshadow brush

- an eye shadow blending brush

- a concealer brush

- a double sided brush with one side being a lip brush and one side being an angled eye brush

- a makeup pencil sharpener

I absolutely love the kabuki brush, powder goes on so nicely with it. It is super soft and not at all scratchy. I use it to apply powder where I have concealer, and I love using it. The defining powder brush I use when I apply blush. Because it isn't angled at all, the blush goes on looking slightly more natural. The concealer brush is great for perfectly placing the product.

The eyeshadow brush is the perfect size for applying eyeshadow all over your eyelid. I also adore the blending brush, as it blends out the eyeshadow in basically 1-2 swipes. It is easy to create a smoky look using this brush. I like having the lip brush and angled brush on the same tool, as it saves space. The sharpener is handy, as it has two different sized holes for sharpening different sized makeup pencils.

All the brushes are very soft and work very well, and I am extremely happy with this purchase. They came in a little zip case that holds the brushes in separate compartments with space for more brushes.

I am very happy with this purchase. 7 good quality, soft makeup brushes plus a case and sharpener for just under $30 is an amazing deal if you ask me! This kit would be a great pack for those of you with little to no other makeup brushes, as it has a good amount of brushes to start you off with. The only way it could be better is by coming with a foundation brush, but I personally prefer sponges so that doesn't affect me too much.

What are some of your experiences with Nude By Nature makeup brushes? Or if you don't use these, what brand of makeup brushes is your favourite?

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Enhancing Your Natural Beauty // My Tips

Hello everyone,

I was inspired by Glossier to create a post about ways that I enhance my features without covering up, hiding or changing how I look. I believe that makeup is best used for enhancing features, such as your cheekbones for example, rather than used to modify how you look and change your appearance drastically. I like using the term "less is more" when it comes to makeup - that's my personal preference. I'm always about keeping it natural.

My first product I use when enhancing my natural looks, is concealer. My favourite concealer is the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer, it has good coverage and blends really nicely. I rarely apply concealer over blemishes such as my acne, I only use concealer vary sparingly, only under my eyes to brighten my face, conceal my genetic under eye circles and make me look more awake.

With mascara, my go to is probably the Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express, as it isn't clumpy if you don't go overboard with it and it makes your eyelashes look very long and curled. With mascara, I only use 1 or 2 coats, to avoid getting all my eyelashes stuck together or clumpy and keeping my look as natural as possible. Clumpy lashes are not a good look, so use mascara if you want, but don't use too much. Avoid clumpy lashes at all costs!

I think bronzer is a great product for enhancing your features, as when used in small amounts it is good at contouring your face. Don't use too much, and don't apply it where your face isn't contoured. This can look rather over done, quite unnatural and changes how you look. Enhance, don't change your looks. You're beautiful, don't hide that. (That may sound cliché but it's true – I promise :) )

Tinted lip balm is another great product for achieving a natural, subtle and pretty lip colour. Maybelline Baby Lips is my favourite brand when it comes to tinted lip balm, and recently I've been loving the Baby Lips ElectoPop in Oh! Orange for a pretty, subtle, coral orange colour for my lips.

Your eyebrows can very easily enhance your beauty or drastically change your look, be very careful when tweezing them yourself! Eyebrows frame your face, and your natural eyebrow shape is suited to your face shape, so don't change them too much. That's why you should always make sure that when you shape and tweeze your eyebrows (or when you get a professional to do it), keep them the same shape that they were originally, just neater and more defined. Disclaimer: It's ok if you don't have your eyebrows done or you don't want to do them, it's okay for that to be your personal choice. Some people choose to have them done, others choose not too, and both these choices are totally fine!

Last but not least, moisturiser. Don't forget to moisturise! Even with oily skin you still need to moisturise. If you have oily or blemish-prone skin, you can purchase moisturisers suited to your skin. Any kind of skin type, for example dry, oily or combination, there are moisturisers available for your type. I have oily skin, so I use the Neutrogena Oil Free moisturiser. Moisturising will keep your skin looking healthy, hydrated and glowing. This means you may not want or need to use a heavy layer of foundation every day and you can keep your skin more natural. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Check out Glossier's skincare products for products that can help you to enhance your natural beauty. 

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Disney Tag

Hello everyone,

I am a HUGE Disney fan, and I realised this even more the other day when in maths, we did an online Disney quiz where I knew the answer to all the questions except one (since when was Gaston's sidekick was called LeFou?!). I thought it would be fun to do a Disney related tag, so I am doing the Disney Tag!

1. What's your favorite Disney movie?

This is a hard one, probably The Rescuers, Alice in Wonderland, Tangled or Aladdin.

2. Disney world or Disney land?

Well, I've only been to Disney land and not Disney world, so the answer has to be Disney land :)

3. Which Disney movie do your remember seeing first in theatres? 

I remember going to see Finding Nemo in the cinemas, and it came out in August 2003, so I would have been 2. 

4. Which Disney voice actor would you most like to meet? 

Robin WIlliams (Genie) or Walt Disney (the original Mickey). Just pretend they aren't dead please. 

5. Flounder, Sebastian, or Scuttle?

Flounder, he's so cute!

6. Do you have a favorite pair of Mickey ears? 

I don't have Mickey ears, but I do have Minnie ears which I like.

7. Which Disney princess has the best sidekick? 

I would say Mulan, because Mushu is so funny, except he isn't great in the second movie. Probably Rapunzel in Tangled, because even though Pascal doesn't talk, he is such a good character.

8. A scene from a Disney movie you wish you could experience. 

The lantern scene in Tangled, it looks so magical!

9. Who are your favorite Disney princesses? 

Probably either Mulan, Belle or Jasmine. 

10. If you had the chance to spend time with Walt Disney himself, what would you want to say to him? 

I would show and tell him about how popular Disney still is and how far it has come, he would be so proud. 

Anyways I hope you enjoyed this little tag, I tag anyone who loves Disney to do this tag! Let me know in the comments below some of your answers, or if you did the tag on your blog I'd love to read your answers so leave your links below. 

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Fridays!

Hello everyone,

I've been absent for a bit over a week, school and stuff has been super busy! I've decided to change my blogging schedule back to once a week, and I'll post on Fridays. If I feel like it, I may post other times during the week without using the schedule, but every week I'll post on Friday, starting tomorrow :)

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Pastry Stars // Recipe

Hello everyone,

So I was "experimenting" in the kitchen the other day and I ended up baking these super cute, super yummy pastry stars. I enjoyed making (and eating) them, so I thought I should share the recipe with you guys.

You will need: 

●  Two sheets of puff pastry
●  A star (or other shaped) cookie cutter
●  Frozen blueberries
●  1/8 cup of milk
●  1/8 cup or icing sugar (plus some for dusting at the end)
●  1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence

How to make:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius.

2. Let the pastry thaw until it can be easily cut with the cookie cutter. This will     probably take a few minutes.

3. When the pastry has thawed, use the cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the pastry.

4. On a baking tray lined with baking paper, layer the pastry into 3 layers, making sure to line up the edges.

5.Remove the 3rd (top) layer of pastry, cut a blueberry sized hole in the middle and place back on the other layers.

6. Mix the milk, vanilla essence and icing sugar to make a glaze.

7. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the pastry (before the blueberries go on!).

8. Place one blueberry into the hole in each of the little pastries.

9. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden and puffed up.

10. Dust with icing sugar before serving. 

These are really yummy, easy to make and look like lots of time and effort was spent making them. These would be a great food to serve at a party, picnic or even as a gift! If you make these, I'd love to see! My twitter is @jessw0611, and even though I don't tweet much, if you send me a photo I would really like to see :)

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Purple Smokey Eyes // Eye Makeup Tutorial

Hello everyone,

I love experimenting with bold makeup, especially eyeshadow. I attempted a purple smokey eye and it turned out better than expected, so I thought I'd share it with you guys. (Ignore how messy the palettes are - I forgot to wipe the glitter excess)

First I used the second lightest colour from the Revlon ColourStay eyeshadow palette in Blushed Wines as a pinky under-toned base colour all over my lid. Then, I applied the pinkest colour from the Rimmel Glam Eyes eyeshadow palette in Purple Reign on top of the base colour. 

In my outer corner, I applied the medium shade of purple from the Rimmel eyeshadow palette and blended it into my crease. 

In my crease, I used the darkest colour from the Rimmel eyeshadow palette and smoked it out. I also used this colour under my lower lash line from the outer side into the middle. 

Using the white from the Rimmel eyeshadow palette I highlighted my brow bone and applied it in my tear duct to brighten my eyes. I also brought it under my lower lash line to meet with the dark purple. I blended it out afterwards to make it a bit softer and make it blend better. 

To finish I just reapplied some of the lightest colour of the Rimmel eyeshadow palette in my inner corner to make the colour a bit brighter. 

When wearing this look, I suggest reapplying concealer afterwards as the glittery fallout does get everywhere. 

I was actually half blinking in this, but it showed the eyeshadow nicely so I left it in :)

This is a very bold look, let me know in the comments what occasion you would wear this look too! Also, what makeup look would you like me to try next?

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Holiday Bucket List

Hello everyone,

It's only a few more weeks until the holidays, and I am very ready for them! I really need a break so I am excited for the well-earned holidays that are only 3 (I think?) weeks away. I'm looking forward to them so much, I've already written my "Holiday Bucket List"! I saw that Emily had shared her holiday bucket list so I thought I'd share mine too because I really enjoyed reading what she wanted to do in the holidays. 

I often find that the holidays fly by so fast and I've wasted a lot of it wondering what I should spend my time doing. Thats why I like to make holiday checklists or bucket lists. I like making them cute, colourful and appealing to the eye so that I am more likely to use it as a guide for what I want to do in the holidays. There aren't too many, as it is only a 2 week break and I didn't want to cram too much into that short amount of time. 

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

How To: Handle Being Busy

Hello everyone,

So recently I've been super busy with school, assignments, studying and ballet exams and its been pretty overwhelming. August is a very busy month for me every year. I have developed a few tricks for how to manage with the overload of work and I thought they would be helpful to you guys. 

1. Write Lists

I can't stress this enough! Writing lists help to keep track of everything you need to do and you get the satisfaction of crossing things off. When you write lists, you don't need to waste brain power on remembering what to do and instead you can use your saved brain power to actually do the things you need to do. I recommend whiteboards for lists if you are really busy. 

2. Calendars

Similar to lists, calendars help to remember things, specifically dates. You don't want to be forgetting when things are!

3. Make the Most of Time

Whether its making the most of relaxing time or making the most of working time by being productive, making the most of time is important. Especially if you are very busy at the time. 

4. Stay Calm

It can be stressful, being busy. You need to have things that help you keep a calm mind set. I like to go for walks with my dog, have a relaxing bath, listen to my favourite music (see my current favourite songs HERE), pamper myself somehow or watch a little bit of TV.

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

Everyday Makeup Tutorial

Hello everyone,

So today I wanted to do another post on makeup, as you guys seemed to like my last makeup look post as it received some lovely comments and feedback. Here is an everyday makeup tutorial.

**Disclaimer - this isn't my everyday makeup look, as I don't wear a full face of makeup to school everyday, but if I did wear lot's of makeup regularly, this is what I would wear**

To start off I am using a beauty blender to apply my Garnier . I find that applying foundation or BB cream with a sponge gives it a lighter look. Then I am using the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer on my under eye circles. To set, I am using the Maybelline Matte Maker pressed powder.

I am using the Rimmel Soft Colour Blush in 210 Tuscany as a bronzer, as it is a nice shade of bronzer for my skin tone.

I am just filling in my eyebrows with the dark brown matte colour on my Maybelline Expert Wear Eye Shadow in Natural Smokes. On my eyes with the Revlon Colourstay 12 Hour Eye Shadow in Blushed Wines, I am just using the second lightest colour all over my lid and blending the darkest colour into my crease. The mascara I am using is the Maybelline Mega Plush Volume Express Mascara.

To finish the look I am using the Maybelline  lipstick in party pink, but instead of applying it directly onto my lips I am using my finger to apply it for a more subtle look.

Left: Applied normally, Right: Applied with finger

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥

This Or That Tag

Hello everyone!

I'm really stressed and busy at the moment, so I thought for a blog post I'd just do a simple tag :) I'm doing the This or That tag (I'm only doing some of the questions). 

MAKEUP:

Blush or bronzer?

Bronzer.

Lipgloss or lipstick? 

Lipstick definitely, the colours is more obvious and it isn't sticky like lipgloss. 

Eyeliner or mascara?

Mascara - its easier to apply! Both look nice though. 

Foundation or concealer?

Concealer. It's lighter but has really good coverage. 

Natural or coloured eyeshadow?

Natural, as you can easily adjust it to the occasion and make it look quite bold or barely there. 

FASHION:

Dresses or skirts?

Skirts, I don't wear that many dresses. 

Stripes or plaid?

Stripes all the way! 

Studs or dangly earrings?

Studs. 

Hoodies or jackets?

Hoodies, they are so much more comfortable! But my favourite jumper type clothing is a sweater :)

HAIR:

Curly or straight?

Straight when it comes to my hair, as it doesn't curl very easily. 

Bun or ponytail?

Ponytail. 

Hairspray or hair gel?

Hairspray - when I try and use hair gel it stays in blob form on my hair! I'm probably doing something wrong haha

Up or down?

My answers sort of cheating but oh well :) Up in summer and down in winter. 

RANDOM:

Autumn or spring?

Autumn. I love the leaves and the chilly evenings :)

Chocolate or vanilla?

This is really hard, because I love chocolate food but vanilla scents. I'll have to say chocolate. 

Tea or coffee?

Tea! I'm not really a coffee drinker, but I have a cup of tea basically everyday. 

Bye for now,

Spring Baby aka Jess

♥