BUYING GIFTS FOR MEN

There's nothing I love more than buying gifts. Buying gifts for men on the other hand, is a much harder task in itself. Every year my boyfriend buys me amazing gifts and when it comes to it, I just don't have a clue what to buy him! I thought I'd do a 'buying gifts for men' post as I find them super helpful when I'm looking for gifts and seeing as Christmas is coming fast (92 days and counting), this might come in very helpful! I tend to brainstorm everything that they're interested in or that I know they love as a starting point and then work my way from there. I've just been shopping for my boyfriends birthday presents so here's just a few ideas of gifts that you could buy your other half, or even your granddad...

A classic shirt
What man isn't ever going to need a shirt in his life!? I personally love shirts as they're so basic yet can make a whole outfit a million times better. I totally love this Ralph Lauren shirt.

A really good quality bag
Everyone needs just a really good quality bag in their life. I completely fell in love with this one from Ted Baker and it would be ideal for autumn.

A pair of casual yet 'goes with everything I own' shoes
There's no better colour than black. And I bought my boyfriend these black Polo Ralph Lauren plimsolls for his birthday. He spotted them whilst we were out shopping and has mentioned them a few times since so I can't wait for him to see them. They'll go with just about any outfit, casual or dressy.

A timeless watch
Ok, ok, well not literally timeless. That would totally defeat the object of a watch, right? But I do love this Michael Kors watch as it's so classic yet sophisticated.

An aftershave which smells amazing
I'm not too fussed on men's aftershave if I'm totally honest. Paco Rabanne's One Million is by far the best I've smelt though. I like it a whoooole lot.

And finally... just a really good pair of underpants
There's nothing worse than ugly underwear and I think less is more. I like the Calvin Klein underwear as it's so simple yet classic. Ok, I'll stop before this gets weird. But really, nice underwear is a necessity.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post,

Let me know if you have any recommendations for future posts,

Jessica xx

WHAT'S ON MY FACE?

I often look back at photos and think 'I wish I knew what makeup I was wearing'. I done my makeup a few weeks back and thought I'd start a post about it. It was one of those ones where I click 'save' and totally forget about it. I was scrolling through my drafted blog posts and found this half completed so here I am, finally completing it (hopefully all this time). I was going out for my friends birthday and I was going quite dressed down so I wanted my makeup really nice yet still casual if you understand what I'm going on about. If you're wondering, I used my Real Techniques 'Core Collection' set to apply all of this makeup. I also used my Laura Geller Double Ended Shadow/Liner Brush which is my ultimate favourite brush to apply eye shadow with. I used Dimples eyelashes in 118. I use these eyelashes religiously as they're so natural yet add length at the same time so can be used during the day and also if you're going out for an occasion.

 

Products used

MAC's Studio Fix Fluid foundation in the shade NC15

Laura Geller's Blush-N-Brighten in the shade Pink Buttercream

MAC's Soft and Gentle Skinfinish

MAC's Bronzing Powder in the shade Golden

MAC's Concealer in the shades NC15 and NW30

Eyelure Eyelash Glue

MAC Eyeliner

YSL Babydoll Mascara

Urban Decay's Naked Palette - I used Virgin, Sin, Smog and Darkhorse.

 

Thanks for reading!

Let me know if you have any requests for blog posts you'd like to see!
Jessica xx

MY MAKEUP STAPLES

I'm the kind of girl who finds something she loves and sticks to it forever (which is an absolute nightmare when products become discontinued). Even though I'm always trying new things, I will always go back to the same things over and over again. This post is going to be all about those products which I just can't live without and will probably forever repurchase.

 

Urban Decay's Naked Palette

I'm well aware that Urban Decay have brought out multiple Naked palettes but yet I still keep going back to the original. I personally think that bronze tones are best suited with my features so this may be why I keep returning. As you can tell from the image, Sin is my absolute favourite. I've used the others a lot so this just shows how much I've used Sin. I love applying Sin all over my eyelid and then applying Smog in the crease for a lovely everyday yet subtle smoky eye look.

 

The Body Shop Lip Balm in Pink Grapefruit

I actually received this as a gift from my boyfriend and I completely fell in love with it. I'm a sucker for anything with a pink grapefruit scent and this one was a winner. My lips are forever smelling amazing. You should so check it out if you haven't already!

 

No7 Lash and Brow Perfector

I've only recently started filling my eyebrows in and by recently, I mean a couple of months. I always use No7's Lash and Brow Perfector as my eyebrows like to go a little craaaaazy the majority of the time. Quite frankly, they just do what they want. This just helps to keep them in place and keep any strays at bay.

 

Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer

I started using Prime Time quite a few years ago and to this day still love it. It's super light and makes my skin so soft once applied. I use this every single day and don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

 

Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NC15

I used to use Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua for a while when I decided it just wasn't giving me enough coverage that I'd like. I tried Mac's Studio Fix Fluid and oh my goodness, I don't regret anything. This foundation gives so much coverage compared to the vitalumiere aqua and is the perfect shade for my skin. Yes, I know what you're thinking. "Isn't NC15 the lightest shade MAC make?" Yes. I love wearing NC15 as it is just the right shade and I can always add bronzer and other products to darken the tone wherever necessary. Perfect.

 

Mac's Morange lipstick

I know, Morange again. You've probably saw Morange in a whole lot of my favourites but it just ain't going anywhere. As I've wrote about Morange a million times, I won't bore you anymore. It's still by far my favourite Mac lipstick.

 

Mac Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle

I actually ran out of Soft and Gentle a few months ago and waited about two/three weeks to buy it again as I didn't think I'd miss it. It's one of those products that you just don't appreciate until it's gone. I repurchased it and then applied for the first time in weeks and fell in love all over again. I love it sooooo much. It just adds that finishing touch that my makeup needs.

 

Thanks for reading!

What are your makeup staples?

Jessica xx