On the move

I am seriously contemplating moving from Blogger to Wordpress, I have been running the blogs side by side to see how easy they are to use, edit and publish.  I like the Wordpress dashboard but I have been with blogger for some time and I feel a sense of loyalty.  Ease of use, updating and posting are my key points to look at.

You will be able to find me at http://justanessexgirl.wordpress.com let me know what you think.

March Glossy Box

Its that time again for my Glossybox review.  Before I start I want to comment of the delivery service, until this month the box was delivered by a courier and was delivered all sorts of times and they would leave the box somewhere if I was out, not good on a rainy day.  Now they have moved to Royal Mail and the box comes with the postman in the mornings, I may not be in but collecting the box from the sorting centre is no issue and I know the box is safe.

Onto the contents.  Let me be frank here, I was not impressed this month and as I reveal the contents I will explain why.

First up is the perfume samples from Juicy Couture, 2 of them in fact.

My view on perfume samples in Glossyboxes remains the same, I don't believe that samples should be included, I can get a perfume sample from Debenhams or House of Fraser when out shopping.  Anyway they smell ok and will be useful in my work draw to use in an emergency.

Next up is a body cream from Mitchell & Peace mitchellandpeace.com entitled English Growers.

This is a great size to try 40ml will enable me to see if I like it.  First impressions are that it is a little too flowery in scent for my liking but the texture is lovely and the scent may grow on me.

The third item is from Dove and it is their intensive repair 60 second treatment shot.

I am just meh about this again the one tube is not enough for me to see if I like the product enough, it will be handy to take on holiday with me but that's about it.  There are a few things I want to try from Dove, their heat hair mask for one but this is just a so so product from me.

The next item is from Bellapirre Cosmetics bellapierre.co.uk

This is a muti purpose shimmer powder in a very light pink.  I like the shade and the shimmer and I also like the fact it is a multi tasker, use as a highlight on the cheeks or eyes or mix with a lip gloss for a gentle shimmer on the lips.  The leaflet also says can be mixed with nail varnish but I have yet to try that.

I am most excited about the last item.

Pout Polish by Sleek sleekmakeup.com in shade Bare Minimum.  I have wanted to purchase this item for the longest time in this shade but my local Superdrug and Boots never had it in. I have heard brilliant things about this and I like the shade and this will be used right away.

This months box had been a tad disappointing, if it wasn't for the Sleek pout polish and the shimmer powder from Bellapierre I would have cancelled the subscription.
What are your views on this months Glossybox?

What I am loving in March

This month is it all about getting the skin right ready to unpeel the layers worn over winter.

My skin does get dry over the winter season despite my best efforts.  The movement between warm dry buildings into cold damp air really does frazzle my hair and skin.
I visited Lush a few weekends ago and purchased a few things to kick things off my spring skin care routine.

First up was the Lush "Full of Grace" facial serum bar.
Lush say "this preservative-free, all-natural and gentle bar is jammed with Amazonian softening butters, calming chamomile, and skin-protecting Portobello mushrooms to help retain elasticity and keep you looking radiant. We use this in our Validation facial treatment in our Lush Spas, and it’s great to use at home before a Fresh Face Mask to boost its effects or as a night cream."
I have been using it for over a week and my skin does feel soft after using it and is great to use just before sleep.

Next up was a fresh face mask "The Sacred Truth".
Lush say "Ginseng and ginkgo leaf are said to boost blood circulation, whilst honey, yoghurt and free range eggs leave skin soft and moisturised. Green tea and fresh wheatgrass are full of antioxidants, allowing your skin to feel fresh, cleansed and revitalised. Wheatgrass is full of nutrients to feed your skin, whilst the enzymes in fresh papaya will strip away dead skin, giving you a youthful glow."
I really love the fresh face masks from Lush, they smell great and feel lovely on the skin.

I absolutely love the massage bars from Lush, great to use on your own or on someone.  I purchased 2 for myself, the first "Peace" is really softening and the scent is choc full of essential oils.  The second is "Tender is the Night" that smells of vanilla and jasmine leaves a great scent on the skin whilst softening it.

I also purchased "Wiccy Magic Muscles" massage bar for Mr JAEG, to use after the gym, it smells great.

The last item was their lip scrub in "Popcorn", goes without saying what this does.  I love the scent and how it makes my lips feel after using it.

I like Lush and their products I love how they have a stance with regard to animal testing, how they have their campaigns, support charities and are as environmentally friendly as possible.

Check out their products here

Juicing

A long time ago I watched a film called "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead".  At the time I didn't think much of it but as the weather improved I wanted to see how I could switch up my nutrition.
I looked into the whole juicing regime and I liked what I had read and seen and decided to incorporate it into my day.
I am not new to juicing, I had a juicer a while back but it was such a faff but since then they have come on tonnes and have become more user friendly.  Mr JAEG and I decided to go for a Sage juicer as the feeder tube can take whole fruit and there is less faff, the unit is easier to clean and produces great juice.
I still have to eat with the students but I can incorporate juice into my daily diet and the fact I am adding vitamins and nutrients in this way is great.  Beats the pill popping.

If you are interested in juicing Joe Cross has a great web site here.
Amazon has a huge amount of books to help get started or with recipes and if you want to try a juice or two before committing then there are a few juice bars to choose from Boost Juice shops can be found in most shopping centres in the UK and their products can be found here 

I will post a full review of the Sage soon but I would value any thoughts you have about juicing.

Persona

It was as I was standing in front of the school during an event this week when I realised that I and the adults around me were acting.  To look at us you would not realise that one was going through major problems with their home, another was dealing with major illness in their family another through severe anxiety.  We were all professional and there would be no reason the students would know what was going on in the private lives of the adults in front of them, why should they.  It got me onto thinking about the other 'sides' of us the different ways we project ourselves, both professionally and personally.
I know that I have many 'faces': dealing with the students: with colleagues; with family; with friends; when alone; when on this blog.
This is why programmes like celeb big brother always interests me as you cannot keep one mask on 24/7 it always slips and under that mask is the true person.  Some people are clever and keep the truth hidden for a while others not so good.  All in all eventually the true self is shown for some the true person isn't a great person hence why they need the different faces.
I want all the different faces I have to still reflect the true me and I also want to be the person I would want to hang about with so that if a mask slipped I was still a good person and true to myself whilst being professional.
There is nothing wrong with having different sides to yourself but if you are hiding a persona that is less savory, one that you may be ashamed of then there is something wrong and that needs to be worked on.  One thing I have learnt in the last few years that children are very watchful, they watch the adults around them closely and can spot cracks, they can tell

There is just 3 weeks to the Easter break, the weather has changed for the best and that means working on the garden and letting the sunshine into the home.
Easter always means new beginnings for me, the change of season from Winter to Spring always perks me up.  Clothes get lighter and brighter, make up becomes less matte and more glowing, the evenings are still light so more time to do things outside, food becomes fresher and there is no need to fill up on comfort food.  When the sun shines everyone is in a happier mood and everyone feels more active.
There is stress at work, Ofsted have still not come in but that's OK, I have a new person joining this week and I feel that regardless of a monitoring visit things are going well at work.  I still maintain that going into education was the right thing to do, I just need to shape how I would like things to go the next few years.

My own project runway

One of my guilty pleasures (apart from all things beauty related) is craft.  I find that after a stressful day there is nothing better to carve out some time to meditate.  One way of meditating is to lose myself in something craft related.  This is giving focus to something that requires using my brain in a different way to my normal day to day brain power.  I do many crafts, baking, sweet making, jewellery making and sewing.  Now the home office has been organised I have space away to re-start my sewing projects.  I decided to start updating my wardrobe and collated together my patterns and looked out for new patterns in the process.  Amazon is a great place for patterns but not exclusive, just Google sewing patterns and you will see a vast array of patterns and designs, from simple and quick to complete and stunning.

My current collection

I think programmes like the Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee show us how easy it is to start baking and sewing at home, and I think that is reflected in the shops and on-line community.
Whilst I was studying I stopped all my craft, devoting my spare time to my degree study, looking back I am not sure that was a good thing, after all there was no stress relief.  Studying was no let up from work, both being very similar in brain power.

I wont say I am an expert in my craft, I enjoy doing them and I find them relaxing.  I hope I will become better with practice and that sewing especially will serve me well helping me produce clothes that are unique, whilst being suitable for work or going out.

I hope to post some of my completed work eventually on here.  Some work already completed has been donated to charity but I will try to add some photos on here next time.

What do you do to relax after stressful periods?

Birthday wishes

I love this time of year.  The change of season really perks me up and the mornings are getting lighter and the evenings too are getting lighter.  The sun can change how people view the world and as I type I can see the sun streaming through the window, I heard the birds tweet and I just know that winter is over.

This time of year brings many joys, Easter is soon, mothers day is sooner and at the start of April is my birthday with Mr JAEG soon after.

I have already purchased Mr JAEG's gift, I cannot wait to give it to him but I cannot say here what I have got him until after his birthday.

There is not a lot I want for my birthday, what do you get the girl who has everything, right?  I thought that until I say that you can now design your own Ray Bans.  I love my sunglasses, I have a great collection that fits in with my lifestyle but the fact that I can design my own really appeals to me.  Since logging on I have come up with 2 different designs, both very me, both different to each other and what I already had in my collection.  You can design yours here.

The other thing that is really appealing to me right now is juicing.  About 10 years ago I had purchased a juicer and I will be honest it was a complete faff to make anything.  I had to chop up the fruit into small pieces and the clean up operation after was huge and to be honest that outweighed the beauty of a freshly produced juice.  I have been researching juicers and they have come on a long way since my effort 10 years back.  The chute is larger and so there is no need to prep the fruit or veg before, and it appears that the clean up operation is much faster now making the whole juicing business more beneficial.

I think that's about it for my birthday wish list.  If you have tried juicing I would be grateful for feedback to the machine and recipes.

On a slightly related note, I am really trying to watch what I am consuming, slowly and surely I am eating less meat and I feel good on that, who knows I may become a vegetarian but at the moment I am just good with cutting down meat consumption.  The other thing I am looking at is where my food comes from, I use soya milk the lactose in normal milk used to play merry hell in my stomach but I am interested in trying raw milk as lactose is not an issue.  I am looking at farmers markets and I need to become more interested in what I am consuming and I think a key point is knowing where my food is coming from.  I want to investigate the different ways we can improve out lives, our health with food.  Again any views greatly appreciated.

A review - Smashbox Full Exposure Pallet

For those who follow a lot of make up blogs you would have read a fair bit about the pallet from Smashbox.  I thought I should add my pennies worth to those who have already reviewed.

I like Smashbox as a brand, their formulas blend nicely and their setting powder is one of the best I have ever used.  When my other make up supplies run low I will look to restock from Smashbox and test more of their range.

With my animal testing post in mind I thought before sharing my thoughts on the pallet I would share with you the Smashbox stance is on animal testing.  Their web site http://www.smashbox.com/ (accessed 22 February 2014) state that "Smashbox is committed to the elimination of animal testing. We are equally committed to consumer health and safety, and bringing to market products that comply with applicable regulations in every country in which our products are sold.
We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. We evaluate our finished products in clinical tests on volunteer panels.
Smashbox fully supports the development and global acceptance of non-animal testing alternatives. To this end, the Company works extensively with the industry at large and the global scientific community to research and fund these alternatives."

Anyway onto the pallet.













One of the first things I liked upon opening the pallet was the "eye guide", a leaflet showing you how to identify your eye shape and steps on how to achieve three different looks (day, night and defined).
Brilliant for the beginner but also good for those who have been wearing eye make up for as long as they can remember.  There is also a website you can access with more looks (found on the back of the pallet).

The pallet has a matte black case with "Smashbox Full Exposure" written in silver rainbow font.  Inside sit 14 neutral shadows, 7 shimmer shades on the top row and 7 matte shades on the bottom row with the double ended brush under the mattes.  The shimmer and mattes are paired up nicely to make it easier to know what shades to pick together for a look.  Although with that in mind I would say all the colours both matte and shimmer would go with each other.
The shimmer shades are not scary, they have a small amount of shimmer but are blend-able and not too glittery on the eye, making the shades suitable for any age.  The shadows have incredible staying power, although this could be down to my eye primer but even so, the colours stay on the lid with no fall out and are there at the end of the day.
The range of shades mean that you could achieve a natural daytime look or a smokey eye nighttime look and everything in between.

I am impressed with the brush that comes with this pallet, normally I would throw the brush that comes with shadows away, preferring to use my full length eye make up brushes.  However, I am not throwing this baby away!  It is a dual ended brush. one end for matte shades the other for shimmer, the shimmer end is halved with white bristles on one side and black on the other meaning you can use the black side for the dark shades and the white side for the lighter shades (this really suits my OCD).

There is a huge mirror in the lid of the pallet, again so useful and user friendly.  Smashbox have really thought about what appeals to users and made sure their pallet tick boxes.

Overall I am impressed with this pallet, the quality and the feel of the product is brilliant and the shades are so wearable.  I think the £36 cost is reasonable for the 14 decent sized shadows (plus brush).  I would certainly take this pallet with me when I travel and I would purchase for others.

This pallet also came with a sample of Full Exposure Mascara.  I have yet to try this mascara but I have heard amazing things about it and it is the next mascara to try once my MAC has finished.

The pallet can be purchased here

Goodbye February

I am writing this in my newly built home office and I am so pleased we decided to go ahead and get sharps in to design and build.  I find this new room a haven from the world, a place to retreat should I need to take time out for the hustle and bustle.
I am much better compared to this time last year, anxiety has not disappeared, (I am not sure it ever will) but it is at a level I can manage now.  That has helped everything else get back on track and on board.  I am grateful that I have my partner and family around me and that they have made me realise that no matter what they are there for me.  I highly recommend if you are every struggling in life to find someone to speak to, whether it be the Samaritans, doctor, trusted friend or a family member.  It is easier said than done but I urge anyone who feels they are up against it to speak up, speak out and tell someone how you feel.

I cannot believe we are now in March, boy this year is really moving at a pace but I am glad we are heading towards spring (although winter was not hideous and cold just hideous and wet).  As yet Ofsted have not been into check us out and the pressure is felt, I have decided to ignore the pressure and do what I have always done and that is my job to the best I can with the tools I have.  There is no way Ofsted will see me or my team in a bad light, we are good at what we do and I lead a fantastic team.  I am making sure we are spot on without pilling on the stress and pressure others may be getting.

This new home office has a place for me to take time out, to work and to do my craft, something which has helped me keep stress and anxiety under control.  I am back to dressmaking as I can get to my sewing machine and this is a love I have always kept hidden until now.  I love dressmaking, I am still a novice but its a bit like my beauty passion, it is not hurting anyone and I love trying out new things, new methods and building a wardrobe of clothes that are unique.  Next I will be back to jewellery making too, I have the space now!

So onto what I have loved in February.

TV

• Not strictly TV but watchable all the same and that is House of Cards - Kevin Spacey is amazing in it and I have had to watch season 2 twice now.
• Eastenders - it was great to see Stacey back in the square.
• Jonathan Creek - he is back for a short season and the first episode was great.
• Silk - another BBC programme that is fantastic.
• Line of Duty - gripping.

Film

Thanks to Netflix and now Amazon Prime I have watched a fair few films this past month, the stand out ones are:

• Out of Time
• The Final Destination Films
• Iron Man (1 and 2)
• Olympus has fallen - watched last year on a flight, glad its on Netflix

Beauty

• I have loved my Sigma brushes this month.
• MAC creme blush (all shades) less drying at this time of year.
• MAC lipstick in Fanfare, a beautiful pink.
• Lush body bars, smell divine and soften the skin.
• Inglot shadows.
• My Urban Decay Naked 3 pallet
• Smashbox pallet

Eats

• Mini eggs, I love when Easter is close and I have an excuse to eat them.
• Miller and Carter restaurants, we had an amazing meal in there last week and it is now our new place to go.
• Sodastream
• Nespresso, still making great coffee.

I hope you had a wonderful February and enjoying March.

A review - Inglot freedom pallet

A few weeks ago you would have seen that I decided to try the Inglot Freedom Pallet (see here).  I have heard many good things about the eye shadows in particular and I wanted to check them out myself.
I decided to go for the freedom pallet that holds 4 square pans (shadow or other) and if I liked the formula then there was no reason not to purchase more.  Pricing side by side to MAC shows that the refills from Inglot are more favourably priced, getting more bang for your buck.

I went for 4 shades, the pairs of shades that could blend with each other, greens and blues.
471 - An olive green shade
333 - A beautiful dark green
338 - A dark cornflower blue
387 - A muted grey with a hint of purple.

Top row| 338|387
Bottom row| 333|471

Swatched

There is a huge ranges of colours and finishes to choose from and the colours that you see on the screen are a fair representation of what you actually get.  This is much better than the MAC website, where I am always trying to second guess the colour swatches I see on the screen (maybe that's just me thought).

Firstly I would like to talk about the pallet.  The lid is translucent frosted white with the Inglot name stamped across in black, you can make out the shades through the lid which is useful if you have a number of shadows you wish to find.  The lid is held on by 4 very strong magnets which could make removing the lid hard, but if you slide the lid off the magnets instead of pulling the lid off there really isn't a problem.  These magnets will ensure that the shadows are not going anywhere when travelling, you wont have crumbled up shadows in the bottom of your make up bag.  The pallet and lid are of a sturdy plastic that does not feel or look cheap.  The pans slot into the base of the pallet easily and are easy to remove, the numbers of the shades are on a label on the back of the pan so you can lift the shadow up and check what the shade number is.  The pallet is a mattblack and compliments the writing on the lid.

The shadows are highly pigmented and blend really well on the lid.  The staying power is fabulous and look good as the day progresses (I will have to say here that the staying power could be down to the Urban Decay primer I always use).  The formula is soft and glides smoothly onto the lid with no fall out and the colour on the lid is as true to what you see in the pan, they are not chalky they don't go on patchy.  The pan size is larger than MAC so great value for money and I would say that the quality of the shadows are as good as MAC.  Lets face it once on the eye who knows if you are wearing MAC or Inglot anyway.

Would I buy more?  the answer to this is yes I like their shadows and their formula works well for what I want.  I like the fact that they have a great range of colours and finishes.  I like how they state next the products that they are paraben free and not tested on animals (being an animal lover this is very important to me.