Jennifer Rosellen

‘Nothing is impossible’ | Uhmmm.... Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.

2018-10-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

I need your internal voice to say 'bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.' like Kristen Bell's character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall for a) the full effect b) to make sense of why I wrote 'bullshit' four times instead of just the one. Also, it's one of the best lines from the entire movie, obviously except for the timeless classic 'YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE FROM LAHNDAN.'

Tangents, they're kinda ma thaaaang.

Back to the subject at hand, there are so many versions of this quote or ones along the exact same lines [IF YOU BELIEVE IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT] etcetera etcetera (and vomit, vomit) that I'm genuinely surprised the Pinterest server hasn't overheated and exploded from the sheer volume of aspirational positive quotes pinned to its virtual moodboards.

I'm Jen, and I'm a glass-half-empty-kinda-gal. In fact, I'm a

This glass of liquid they have given me is half empty.

It's Pepsi.

I asked for Diet Coke and it's FUCKING. PEPSI. (if you know, you know).

It's flat.

It's WARM!

It's warm, it's flat and it's Pepsi.

There's a lipstick stain on the glass.

And, of course, there is a dead fly floating in it.

Now, if you've been following me on Instagram recently [shameless link to my instagram coming up right about now] you'll see that I am, in fact, making a genuine effort to be a little less like the above and to be more positive and open minded.

I went into town today and purchased a notebook in which I *coughs, whispers* intend to turn into my 'compliments' and 'self-love/self-talk' journal.

I know, who the fuck am I? Me from 5 years ago is side-eyeing me SO HARD right now she's out side-eyeing-side-eyeing-Chloe. But it's true, I am genuinely trying to focus on living with a purpose, setting goals and intentions, focusing on talking to myself positively and accepting compliments and not focusing on negativity. But this doesn't mean that I have suddenly lost the ability to see reason and I think it's imperative that we do keep our dreams and goals realistic.

Certain things are in fact, impossible. They will never. happen.

It's not possible for me to have children in my twenties.

Ooo, that sort of took a turn, didn't it?

But I'm not being negative, just factual. The realisation hit me like a truck a few months ago and it has taken me awhile to get my head around it and, in all honesty, it did leave me feeling slightly sad.

A goal of mine was to have children in my twenties - and it didn't happen. That ship has officially sailed.

We can double pin, share, retweet, save and double tap as many inspirational quotes and platitudes as we like, hell we may even order some fancy prints and frame them or sip our tea from a mug with such sayings printed upon them in swirly, curly writing surrounded by pretty little hearts and stars but, the fact of the matter is, as we get older doors close and ships sail.

But that's okay.

Is it possible for me to have children in my twenties? No.

Was I able to be a god-mother to two amazing boys? Yes! Was I a nanny to three awesome kids? Yes! Did I work at one of the best summer camps in the whole of Manhattan, surrounded by kids? Yes! Will these things help me when I do reach my eventual goal of becoming a parent - YES! Ultimately, does a few years here or there really, really, truly matter - no. Are there ways of becoming a parent that might not have been what I originally envisioned - yes!!! Can I sit and list dozens and dozens of things that I am grateful for and are awesome in my life - YES! Am I working on becoming the best version of myself and creating the best version of my life that I can? - YES!!!

Perhaps you always wanted to be a famous actress. Maybe you will be, maybe you won't be - but imagine how all of the classes have made you a better artist, all of the auditions that have made you work on your weaknesses and impervious to criticism, the knowledge you have of the industry that sets you apart from others, the drive and commitment you've shown that will stay with you for life - perhaps you can change your goal to 'make a living from doing what I love, live and breathe to do' - so along with auditioning perhaps you share your talent and become the world's best drama teacher or move sideways into directing, scriptwriting and maybe even discover that's your true passion?

Maybe you're freaking out because you don't have a shiny ring on your finger and the next twelve months of your life to tspend figuting out how to spend thousands of pounds on flowers that will be on show for precisely one afternoon, a cake that no-one will actually eat and painstakingly creating and posting out invitations and thank-you letters that AREN'T NECESSARY BECAUSE IT'S 2018 AND WE ALL HAVE EMAIL ADDRESSES!?!?! (can you tell I'm not a massive fan of weddings?).

I get it though.

It's so many women (and men's) dream to find 'the one' and have that wonderful wedding wedding - aaaaand there's pretty much fuck all you can do to *make* it happen. It is impossible to make someone love you. (Believe it and you can achieve it! Just put your mind to it! No, my friend, that's stalking.) But if your goal was to be married or engaged by age 'X' and you aren't then my guess is you've kissed enough frogs (dated enough bellends) to know exactly what you don't want. You've spent enough time single to value your alone time and value yourself - you know your self-worth and won't settle for less. These are absolutely huge blessings. But what steps can you take if you do want to meet Mr.Right. Do you need to open your mind and perhaps rethink your criteria? Step out of your comfort zone and try some zany new dating app or event? Stop focusing on it entirely and just work on yourself? Have a serious think about how 1 in 2 marriage ends in divorce and stop focusing on the importance of 'having a wedding' or 'being married' and simply finding someone (or something, or friends, or a job) that fills you with joy?

What I'm learning here (at Phuket Cleanse - many more posts to come) and as I get older is that life does not always go how we want it to go - and that is a bloody understatement.

Our goals and definitions of success can and change as our situations and our life changes. We don't need to view any of these things we didn't achieve, haven't achieved yet or things that are or seem 'impossible' as 'failures' we can simply re-frame how we view the situation and learn from everything we've experienced.

I urge you to think of something you thought you might have achieved yet but haven't and list all of the things that you have done that have got you closer to your goal, enriched your life and improved you as a person.

Are there any other ways to reach that goal or is that goal you set 5, 10, 20 years ago maybe, now you think about it, actually looking slightly different now? Can you set some new goals that you can focus on? Buy a journal or open a google docs and get writing (I know! Who am I!? But seriously, you can be realistic and tell yourself to focus on the positives!)

The point I'm trying to make is that I think it's naive to think that anything is possible - because it's not. But that isn't 'depressing' or 'negative' because there is so much that IS possible!

How did it end up like this, it was only a kiss... | The Strictly Come Dancing Saga & Glaslighting In Relationships

2018-10-09T11:12:00.001-07:00

The Killer's anthem chosen for this blog title seems apt (albeit slightly on the nose) to sum up the recent Strictly Come Dancing Seann Walsh and Katya Jones 'scandal'. The second song lyric that comes to mind is a line from Rihanna's 'Take A Bow' - 'Don't tell me you're sorry cause you're not. Baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught'. (also a rather relevant phrase given the nature of the show Katya and Seann should probably take the hint, take a bow and make a swift departure from the show and pasodoble their way out of the door). Although tellingly, Seann has not actually apologised to Rebecca herself, merely to the media. After he was caught red-handed.

Prick.

However if there is indeed any bright-side to this (I'm done with the song lyric puns now) it's that Rebecca has managed to rid herself of a coward of a man in a dignified, mature and frankly impressively calm way She managed to to spill the tea on what a shit Sean is in a classy way and has garnered support and solidarity from people everywhere - I refuse to use the word sympathy - as she clearly states 'I am not a victim' and no, she is not, what happened is shitty but I don't feel 'sorry' for her as ultimately she'll emerge from this saga better off; Sean is the one who I feel sorry for in regards to what he has lost -

What struck me the most about Rebecca's brilliantly composed statement is that she points out that she had her (warranted!) suspicions but was continuously told she was being a 'psycho'. Oh my GOD how many of us have been there!?' In that EXACT SAME situation. When your gut instinct is screaming at you, the red flag is waving and flapping like a goddamn hurricane is coming and every single fibre of your being is telling you that something isn't right - but your partner simply responds by calling you

-crazy

-jealous

-insecure

-ridiculous

-mental

-nuts

-paranoid

-psycho

Bitches be crazy? No, bitches be absolutely correct in their suspicions and your gaslighting is a conscious and calculated attempt to deflect suspicion away from yourself in order to make us question our own sanity, to somehow twist the narrative by turning us into the bad guy and therefore allowing you to continue with your shady behaviour; dialling up the denial so we spiral further and further into confusion. (I was once told, verbatim, after I found a string of messages including picture messages from my ex to another girl that I was ‘insane’ and he would send ‘the exact same to Adam!' Hmm. Methinks that Adam would have been seriously questioning both my exes intentions and his sexuality if those pictures and messages had popped up in his inbox.)

It's not just gaslighting that shady partners indulge in when attempting to evade being caught. Most people I've experienced (and, unfortunately, dated) also subscribe to the 'ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies' school of thought, that old 'what they don't know won't hurt them' chestnut.

But when you do get caught (and everyone eventually gets caught) you don't just hurt someone - you destroy them.

The 'it was only a kiss' in the title is not actually meant to be a joke based on a relevant sounding song lyric but was chosen to hammer the point home that the actual act in the video that has everyone talking - the kiss - was clearly a short, silly and stupid drunken snog and the kiss itself is not the scandal. The kiss is not the point. It was, as the title says, only a kiss. I obviously do not and cannot speak for Rebecca but from my own personal experience and that of others I know, it's not usually the isolated act itself - the kiss, the picture message, the phone call, the sex, the 'whatever'-you are-doing that you-KNOW-you-should-not-be-doing thing. The thing that hurts you, that breaks your heart and that irrevocably breaks the trust and therefore a relationship is the lying,

Deception is a destroyer. Plain and simple.

Human beings are fallible. No person and no relationship is perfect. People. Make. Mistakes. People hurt people they care about ALL THE TIME! But, if you do make a mistake you owe it to your partner to tell them the truth (the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God! But seriously...), to place the ball in their court and to allow them to decide whether they want to continue the relationship or not.

Based on all the facts. Not a tangled web of lies or half-truths that you've spun together and spoon-fed them.

If you fuck up you try and fix it. You do not fuck up and then spend your time thinking and planning of how to cover it up and get away with it.

Cheating in any form is inherently wrong - but it happens. And, of course, there are a multitude of different 'levels' (I can't think of a better word) of cheating. But if you are hiding or lying about your actions to your partner then you are clearly aware that you have done something wrong and when you hide your actions, be it by omission or by denial, it's like you've switched your partners sunscreen for tanning oil, handed it to them swearing blind that it's spf 50 whilst sitting back and watching them burn.

Admitting your mistake to your partner in my opinion is akin to hot water for sunburn - holy shit yes it hurts but ultimately what it does is it takes the sting out of it. This, for me, is why you need to step up and admit your mistake. To take the sting out of it for that other person that you've hurt. That 'humiliation' sting, the sting of the idea that you're the last to know, the sting that you and other people have literally sat and discussed ways to keep this secret from you, the sting of the knowledge that you've been lied to and gaslighted continuously, intentionally deceived in addition to being cheated on.

I mean option A is obviously don't be a shady fuck but this is 2018, we're all adults here and nothing is black and white, people make mistakes. So this is an open letter to all the guys and gals out there who are currently covering up their wrongdoings.

Admit your mistake.

Take the sting out of it.

Allow that person to chose to whether they want to risk going back in the sun or whether they've had enough and want to leave for the shade.

But give them the fucking choice.

And if you do have a partner that is as cowardly as Seann then I hope you can be as brave as Rebecca and walk away, head held high, knowing you deserve so, so much better.

(I realise that Katya is also married but her husband has not commented and as Rebecca made a public statement so I have focused on that. I have intentionally used the words 'people' as I am well aware that men AND women cheat! 'Bitches' is used as it's [sadly] the well-known-phrase!)

We are all just McDonald's Burgers | Insecurity, Instagram & Inconsistency

2018-09-14T08:47:00.002-07:00

Do these photos scream ‘INSECURE GIRL’? No, they probably scream ‘bloody narcissist’. You certainly wouldn't look at these photos believe that I have battled with crippling insecurity and the dangerously and devastatingly incorrect belief that my aesthetic was somehow intrinsically linked to my value.

[Spoiler alert - it's not!]

Fun fact - I'm actually one of the 'OG' bloggers. It's true, I've had this little space on the web since 2009 [my first post & you MAY recognise some of these people!!] ] and I'm happy to say I've been following so many girls I love succeed and fucking own it. You might well remember me as the girl who occasionally sparked controversy, tweeted a ridiculous amount or had the 'spider eyelashes' - but most likely you vaguely remember me as the one that’s consistently inconsistent; appearing then disappearing sporadically, seemingly without any explanation or pattern.

But why?

It destroyed my soul, crushed my spirit and broke my heart that the thing I loved the most - writing and creating - was ruined, simply because I didn't think I was pretty enough, that my photos were good enough and that other girls had more likes, more followers, healthier hair, perkier bums, fancier clothes, nicer cars, better skin. My focus on vanity metrics consumed me at the very same speed I was consuming constant curated content. Comparison truly is the thief of joy and the tentacles of self-doubt and low self-esteem wrapped themselves around me and spread like poison as I sat slumped in bed, Instagram open, as the artificial light from my iPhone screen bombarded me with artificial images of perfect girls and perfect lives.

So, in the end, I just gave up.

Blogging has changed so much from when I started and whilst I think we all logically understand that social media and blog photos are not depicting anyone’s reality and are simply a highlight reel; what we are seeing and subjected to 24/7 are the perfectly posed golden ‘gram’ shots that are then filtered, adjusted, edited, vsco’d, bokeh’d, textured, mexture'd, huji’d and whatever-fucking-else’d often until it in no way, shape or form even vaguely resembles what a human being, a sky or a building actually looks like. But, you know what I’ve FINALLY realised?

You will never look like the girls on Instagram.

The girls on Instagram don't even look like the girls on Instagram.

I think if we accept that, at least for the foreseeable future, Instagram is an advertorial. It is advertising - plain and simple. And I don’t even mean that in the literal sense of the multitude of paid partnerships I see every day (some are awesome and some are awful. so it goes).

The best analogy I can find to describe how I feel about everything is this...

Okay, so, yes, A maccas burger CAN indeed look like that - but every single one of us knows that they bloody don’t look like that in reality. But it's all about substance over appearance, right!? Photoshoot-ready or not, we’re/it’s still fucking delicious (okay so comparing people to food has got a liiiiiittle bit weird and also let's not get into the specifics regarding the healthiness etc etc of a mcdonald's because that's a whole 'nother rabbit hole .... but I’m hoping the point I'm attempting to make does a little wave and sort of makes itself known).

When it comes to our content, right now,

We are all just McDonald's Burgers at a photoshoot.

And, you know what? As long as we keep reminding ourselves of that but at the same time we keep pushing forward with the dialogues around the portrayal of women in the media and WHY we feel the need to filter and edit our content and WHY we feel the need conform to a ridiculous societal ‘norm’ then I think I’ll continue to tentatively dip my toe back in the proverbial instagram and blogging waters and hope that someday soon we can dial it back and just enjoy and celebrate a burger for just being a bloody delicious burger.

one of the ladies who has managed to blend substance and style - befrassy 'a few small habits in self-love' - read her blog and follow her. she is ah-may-zing.

Why You Should Be Grateful For Being Ghosted.

2018-06-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

I re-entered singledom just over two years ago, when dating apps were at the height of popularity and every other person I knew was whiling away their evenings swiping right and eagerly showing everyone their plethora of new matches.

Having spent the past ten years in long term relationships my only prior encounters with dating were a few hours tipsily spent playing on my single friends apps (you know, sending ‘hilarious’ messages to poor unsuspecting dudes, come on we’ve all done it), so to suddenly find myself rather unwillingly catapulted head first into the world of dating, bombarded with apps such as tinder, happn, hinge, POF and countless others combined with well-meaning friends and colleagues desperate to set me up, I was left SERIOUSLY confused and totally out of my depth.

I felt rather like Alice after she tumbles through the looking glass and lands with a bump in Wonderland. “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked – I feel you Alice, I feel you girl I really do. I didn’t want to end up here either. But guess what, here I am. Here we all are; and whatever you want to call it – benching, ghosting, flaking, whatever –the majority of people stuck in the dating world are seriously half-assing it.

Dating today is the equivalent of shoe shopping, because no matter how much we like the shoe and how well it fits; we just HAVE to see how we look in something else. There’s no real commitment made to any one and we know that. We literally give no sh*ts if one date doesn’t work out as we have another four lined up, another eight matches to talk to, four more apps to swipe through and Barbara in accounts knows ‘JUST the person’ for us. On the Human Interaction Stock Exchange, our words - when it comes to dating - have lost almost all their value

That is, until that can’t-eat, can’t-sleep, reach-for-the-stars, over- the-fence, World Series kind of stuff comes along, slaps us in the face and literally drags us out of our indifferent dating stupor. When you meet someone that you really like, I mean REALLY like, when that feeling hits you, quite simply you would do anything to be with that person. ‘A thousand miles seems pretty far but they’ve got planes and trains and cars. I’d walk to you if I had no other way’ hell, a person who’s really into you would swim, cycle or crawl. If someone wants to be a part of your life then they will make the effort – no ifs, no buts, no excuses. People make their priorities, well, just that – a priority.

“Every movie we see, Every story we’re told implores us to wait for it, the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we’re so focused on finding our happy ending we don’t learn how to read the signs” and most of the time that sign is so glaringly obvious it may as well be lit up above our heads in neon fu*cking lights. They take days to reply? They drop off the face of the earth for weeks at a time? They constantly cancel dates? They ONLY text you after 11pm? They STILL HAVE DATING APPS ON THEIR PHONE? Sweetie, you need to face the cold hard facts – THEY. ARE. JUST. NOT. THAT. INTO. YOU.

But actually, so what? So what that one particular person isn’t that into you? So what if it seems like the last twenty people you’ve dated just aren’t that into you. The Law of “Fuck Yes or No” states that when you want to get involved with someone new, in whatever capacity, they must inspire you to say “Fuck Yes” in order for you to proceed with them. The Law of “Fuck Yes or No” also states that when you want to get involved with someone new, in whatever capacity, THEY must respond with a “Fuck Yes” in order for you to proceed with them. If you’re in the grey area to begin with, you’ve already lost. You don’t need someone who’s indifferent, on the fence, or keeping you on the bench. You don’t WANT someone who isn’t that into you! You don’t need to prove your worth to anybody.

As Carrie Bradshaw so eloquently explains, “Being single used to mean that nobody wanted you. Now it means you’re pretty sexy and you’re taking your time deciding how you want your life to be and who you want to spend it with.” Being alone means you’re available for something amazing – for real love. “Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other love”.

So to all the guys and girls that are ghosting and benching us – thank you.

Thank you for ensuring that we don’t settle for anything less than butterflies.

Twenty Things Every British Person Remembers From School

2018-05-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

Whether you went to the local comprehensive or Eton College, along with acne and awkwardness, there are certain things that every Brit can remember from their schooldays

1) Trying to impress your mates with your yo-yo skills like the ‘sleeper’ and ‘walk the dog’, then getting cocky and inevitably whacking someone in the head as you attempted the ‘around the world’

2) Wondering whether it was actually possible to collect the full England World Cup Squad Coin Collection because you only ever seemed to find David Seamen or Alan Shearer

3) School Discos, which consisted of 2 hours of the girls in one corner performing complicated choreographed routines and the boys alternating between moshing and knee-slides

4) School Discos when you were a little bit older and the dilemma faced during slow dances - girls ‘do I put my head on his shoulder!?’ and boys ‘do I try and put my hands on her bum!?’

5) Pay-as-you-go Nokia mobile phones (specifically 3310’s and 5110’s) which only let you save 5 text messages at a time, the awesomeness that was the original snake game and the effort put into composing your own ringtones

6) Absolutely savage games of British Bulldog and Red Rover, both of which had no discernible rules whatsoever and always ended up with the headmaster announcing in morning assembly that it was now banned due to two broken arms and one dislocated shoulder

7) School Trips with all the ‘cool kids’ sitting in the back of the bus and the boys blasting Limp Bizkit through their speakers. ‘Alright partner, Keep on rollin' baby. You know what time it is...’

8) House Parties consisting of awkward games of spin the bottle, lurid-coloured alcopops, people getting off in the bushes and that one kid vomiting on themselves because they’d necked half a bottle of vodka in the park earlier

9) Not knowing whether your Kodak Disposable Camera was finished or had another photo left, suffering a mini heart attack when it flashed and ending up with a blurry photo of the floor and half your finger

10) MSN messenger all evening every evening. Signing in and out to get your crushes attention, appearing offline so the annoying kid that always spoke to you couldn’t talk to you and asking people to go on webcam whilst claiming yours was ‘broken’ (when actually you were in PJs and covered in spot cream)

11) Purchasing the ENTIRE Clearasil Range and proceeding to apply it in such high quantities that your skin literally ended up peeling off your face and the smell (the smell!) haunted your dreams.

12) That wanker with the guitar who’d always bring it out at lunch break, or worse, at house parties, shut their eyes and start playing Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls

13.) That moment when your class was SO badly behaved that the teacher completely lost their shit and either a) went silent and just stared b) stormed out c) cried or, the big one, d) swore

14.) Finding a pub that let you and your mates in even though you were clearly underage then everyone finding out about said pub and eventually everyone being banned because 87 of your year all tried to get in at once

15.) Using other people’s ID’s where the photo looked LITERALLY NOTHING LIKE YOU and the rush of adrenaline when you actually somehow managed to get past a bouncer and into a bar using it

16.) That one summer where everyone’s hair ended up a vibrant and bizarre shade of orange due to the misguided belief that Sun-In actually worked

17.) Three-way-calling with your best friend and your crush and having to pretend like your heart wasn’t smashed into a thousand pieces and that you 'didn’t care' when he said he fancied Melissa Jones and not you

18.) Frantically adding in your crushes middle name after you originally received the shockingly awful score of 9% in the ‘Love Calculator’ game but you knew you were destined to be with them

19.) Bragging about who’d done the least revision for GCSES/A levels when really you’d all done absolutely loads, apart from that one kid who really hadn’t done any but managed to get straight A’s (bastard)

20.) Thinking that people in their twenties were proper grown-ups (ha!).

Non Surgical Rhinoplasty / Nose Job At Botonics By Naruschka Review | Before & After

2016-09-23T08:39:00.001-07:00

7 Years ago (seven, to be precise) I underwent a septo-rhinoplasty to correct a deviated septum. The end result left me with a straighter and slightly smaller nose, but as the operation was not purely cosmetic I definitely did not have a ‘cute’ nose and there were lots of things I still disliked about its appearance. I had a bump on the bridge which was visible from my side profile, my nose curved to the side which was visible from the front, I had a number of small indentations/depressions on the nose from the surgery and my septum was still uneven. These were all pretty minor imperfections but overall they really bothered me!

I wanted my nose to look smaller from the side profile, straighter from the front, the tip to be slightly lifted and any lumps/bumps/depressions smoothed out. As you can see from all of the before and after photos this is exactly what was achieved!

Operations are a colossal undertaking and all things considered (risk, recovery time, cost etc) I really couldn’t justify a proper rhinoplasty/nose job. I had heard of non-surgical nose jobs using filler and had seen some great before and after photos on social media, so I began researching. I stumbled across this video featuring Naruschka Henriques, Head of Cosmetic Dermatology at the Botonics Plastic Surgery Group and then visited the non-surgical nose job page on the Botonics website. I found the page incredibly informative and liked the before and after photo so decided to drop Botonics an email about treatment! I was then asked to email some photographs of my nose so Naruschka could make an initial assessment (loved this as it meant there was no chance of an unnecessary trip all the way to London!) and was told that I was a suitable candidate for non-surgical rhinoplasty so was booked in for a consultation at number 10 Harley Street with Naruschka.

Over the past 5 years or so I’ve had numerous injectable procedures and have often found that clinics/practitioners try and squeeze in as many patients as possible which has meant that on dozens of occasions I have felt rushed, confused, pressured, completely overwhelmed and unhappy and uneasy at so many appointments. Seeing Naruschka was the TOTAL opposite! In the first consultation we had a long and detailed discussion about what I disliked and what she could realistically achieve using fillers, the after-care procedure, what to expect and the risks of the procedure. We also discussed lip fillers and botox as after meeting Naruschka a I decided I wanted to have these procedures done by Narushka as well. When I left I felt super confident with my choice of practitioner and booked in to have three procedures done over a series of appointments. I tweeted waaaay back in June how reassured and excited I was after my initial consultation.

It took two sessions over two weeks to achieve the final result of the non-surgical nose job. At each session I sat with Narucschka and a handheld mirror as we discussed and agreed on the look we wanted to achieve.. Numbing cream is applied to the whole area of the nose and beneath the septum and nostrils (little video here!). Naruschka and I chatted away whilst the numbing cream was left to work and by the time it was wiped off and it was time for the injections I felt relaxed and quite excited (and of course a tiny but nervous too!)

The procedure itself took about 15-20 minutes each time and involved a series of little injections followed by Naruschka manipulating the filler into the correct position in my nose, so after every injection she would use her hands to press and push my nose. It wasn’t particularly painful apart from the injections to my septum which made my eyes water and made me sneeze! The fact I had one session and went back for another shows it’s definitely bearable. Naruschka was incredibly thorough and also knew I was slightly nervous so would always check I was okay and pause to give me a moment to take a deep breath/wipe my eyes etc – it’s a little thing but it made me feel so much better and was really appreciated!

After both sessions immediately after the procedure I had a few needle marks on my nose and it was slightly red all over. Over the next few days (again, both times) I developed a small bruise on the bridge of my nose which is where the filler had been placed to disguise the bump. My nose was also sore to the touch for a few days after but there was absolutely zero down-time needed – my mum and I went out to eat after my first session and as you can see after just the one session it already looked much smaller and straighter – I was SO happy!

I was truly shocked by the fact that my nose looked smaller and more symmetrical and am 110% delighted by the results. I gave Naruschka a 5* review on Facebook and highly recommend her to anyone considering a non surgical nose job/rhinoplasty or any other cosmetic injectable procedures. I really felt like Naruschka truly cared about making my nose look the absolute best it could. I will be doing a video about the procedure but this is a great one by Fashion Slave who also had her non surgigcal nose job done by Naruschka at Botonics.

I am truly amazed at the difference in my nose. You can see it looks straighter, smaller and I actually LIKE how it looks now. It’s amazing to me just what can be done with a few injections by a skilled practitioner. There was zero down-time, minimal discomfort and the results can last 6-12 months. If you’re interested in the procedure or any other cosmetic procedures have a little look at the Botonics website or email nfo@botonics.co.uk

I also had my botox (forehead and a brow lift) and lip fillers done by Naruschka and am DELIGHTED with the results. I had a small lump in my lips and Naurschka disguised it perfectly and the end result is plumped up lips that look completely natural without any hard ridges and definitely no duck-lips or trout pout! I will be going back in a few months to keep my botox, nose and lip fillers topped up!

Another AMAZING thing about Botonics is that they very clearly outline the cost of each procedure (WHY do so many places keep it secret – completely bizarre!) AND they offer finance options, meaning you can pay for your treatments over three months. This is an absolute lifesaver for me and such a help. My non-surgical nose job was for review purposes but I paid for both my lip fillers and my botox and the finance option really helps – another reason I am a Botonics convert!

If you have any questions about the non-surgical rhinoplasty, lip fillers, botox or anything else just leave a comment.

Tear Trough Filler Before And After At The Milo Clinic By Dr Milojevic (Non-surgical eye bag removal)

2016-06-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

I underwent the Tear Trough Filler Procedure (aka Non surgical eye bag removal) at The Milo Clinic in Harley Street London by Dr Milojevic.

Dr Milojevic has been included in the 'Top Doctors' list for the prestigious Tatler Beauty And Cosmetic Surgery Guide 2016 and from the before and after photos from the tear trough filler procedure it's easy to see why - all there really is to say is WOW! Honestly, not many words are needed as the before and after photos truly speak for themselves at showcasing the dramatic difference after just 1ml of Restylane dermal filler.

Dr Milojevic is actually best known for the tear trough procedure and his expertise is evident from the results. I tweeted photos taken with my phone immediately after the procedure and 24 hours later and as you can clearly see I experienced absolutely zero redness, bruising or swelling. The high-res photos above were taken the day of the procedure and 3 days after the procedure. It’s made a colossal difference to both the dark circles and the bags under my eyes and I feel infinitely more confident wearing absolutely no makeup (I am not wearing any makeup in either photo).

I also tweeted a video of the procedure and can SWEAR that it did not hurt in the slightest (I don't even flinch and I'm smiling away throughout!). There is another video showing what happens during the non-surgical eye-bag removal procedure over on The Milo Clinics Youtube and again you can see that the lady barely bats an eyelid! I would actually rate it as the least painful procedure of all injectables treatments I have had (lips most painful [AGHH!], botox second with a miminal amount of pain on occasion, and tear trough filler - zero pain).

I also had my botox done by Dr Milojevic and am very happy with the results! I had three areas (forehead, glabellar and crow’s feet and I always ask for a slight brow lift when I have botox) and this cost £450. He also offers baby botox. The tear trough procedure took less than 10 minutes in total and the tear trough procedure prices start from £600(*) - results will last around 12-18 months.

I HIGHLY recommend Dr Milojevic at The Milo Clinic and if you'd like to make an appointment you can visit the website, call: 0207 100 1234 or Email: info@miloclinic.com

Jennifer Rosellen x

Nügg Face Masks and a GIVEAWAY!

2016-05-20T08:30:00.003-07:00

Nügg bills themselves as ‘The Face Mask Authority’ and the brand is all about providing top quality skin treatments at affordable prices. The packets may be small, but they certainly pack a powerful punch and the formulation is backed-up by some impressive skincare science.

It’s pretty clear from my blog that I am a HUGE face mask fan so I jumped at the chance to try these. The idea of single-use pods really appealed to me as I often find face masks can be quite messy to apply and a lot of product seems to get wasted, plus as an avid reader of Paulas Choice I’ve realised that the packaging of a product is paramount to its potency. The Nügg pod single-use packaging keeps the product fresh right up until use and minimizes oxidation (which is when the air getting into the product causing it to be less effective) so you know that the product is 100% effective when you use it.

Each one contains a potent blend of tailored natural oils and extracts -.powered by cutting edge technology that eliminates the need for chemical emulsifiers. So each nügg Face Mask contains over 90% natural or naturally derived ingredients AND has NO chemical emulsifiers, NO fragrances, NO synthetic colors, NO petrochemicals, NO parabens. Pretty good eh?

So far I have used the ‘soothing’(*), hydrating (*) and the ‘de-stress’(*) face masks and each was absolutely wonderful and left my skin feeling soft and nourished. There is a very generous amount in each pod and you simply apply a thick layer to your face, wait for 10 minutes and wash off. I love to put my face masks in the fridge to add to the soothing sensation so I did the same with the pods and then applied them whilst relaxing in the bath. The hydrating and deep cleansing mask have both been won Allure Beauty awards and there is a lot of buzz around these masks - having tried them I can totally see why.

I’ve focused on the soothing/hydrating masks so far so I’m really excited to see the effects of the deep cleansing and exfoliating masks. I also have a first date coming up soon (aaahhhhhh!) so will be using the revitalizing mask before and will report back (on the mask and the date!)

You can buy Nügg face masks in sets of 4 (£13.50) which contain a range of face masks, or if you have a firm favourite mask or two (or three!) you can buy a set of 5 (£16.50). With summer sort of here (I mean we had sunshine for like a day so that’s pretty much Summer done in England) these are absolutely ideal for popping in your hand luggage if you’re jetting off to sunnier climes or to have at the ready for a quick, anytime complexion pick-me-up.

I’m running a competition over on my Twitter where you can win one full set - ALL SEVEN FACE MASKS!!!! So head on over and get tweeting!

Nügg face masks are available from BeautyBay and Selfridges

Jennifer Rosellen

Frank Body Lip Scrub And Balm Duo

2016-05-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that you simply MUST go and check out the Frank Body website and give them a follow on social media (insta | twitter as they are just absolutely bang-on in terms of their brand messaging and their website is bloody brilliant.

You've probably seen one of the photos on Instagram where people are covered head to toe in brown stuff -

this is their infamous coffee scrub which is the product they are best known for. I purchased some of this too so a review will be coming up in the next few weeks!

Now, onto the Lip Scrub and Lip Balm Duo (£11.95)

‘Give a little lip and talk dirty. Scrub and rub, and I’ll meet you in the bathroom for a make out session later.’

I purchased this as I am a lip balm lover and was keen to try a lip scrub for the first time and I fell head over heels in love with the Frank Body brand so decided to give it a whirl. The first thing I noticed is that the packaging for both products is super cute and a good size for the price and the second thing is that it smells simple HEAVENLY, a super sweet mixture of coffee, coconut and macadamia.

The Lip Scrub: The finely ground raw sugar gently buffs away dry skin cells, exfoliating your lips leaving them sumptuously soft and smooth. Ground robusta coffee & coffee seed oil stimulate the production of collegen and moisturises with essential fatty acids and vitamin e. Macadamia oil leaves a long-lasting silky feeling and combined with the natural anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral beeswax really seals the deal (pun totes stolen from the Frank and Body website!) leaving your lips feeling luscious and ready to absorb the hydrating natural lip balm.

The Lip Balm: The balm contains vitamin E, lanolin (a natural moisturiser, SUPER hydrating and my ultimate love in any lip balm), coffee arabic seed oil (which contains antioxidants to protect skin from environmental damage), grape and coconut oil. It’s sumptuously thick and luxurious feeling and glides effortlessly onto the lips, smoothing, protecting and relieving any dryness. It also leaves a beautiful sheen meaning I can apply this to my bare lips for a natural sheen, under lip products for that perfect base and over lip products as a non-sticky, gorgeous gloss.

I am completely smitten with this perfect pairing and with Frank Body as a brand!

Skinade: Collagen Drink for Beautiful Skin | #SkinadeJourney Day One

2016-05-17T11:33:00.001-07:00

I am on a constant quest for that elusive perfect epidermis and I’m hoping a 40 day course of Skinade (*) will help me on my journey! Skinade is a drink which is to be consumed once a day and claims to “improve the way your skin looks and feels in as little as 30 days.” It contains no artificial flavours or colouring, is less than 35 calories and tastes like peach and mangosteen.

As we age, we lose collagen at the rate of 1.5% a year from our early twenties (slightly scary as I am hurtling towards my THIRTIES now!). Collagen is a critical part of the structure of the dermis, and gives our skin that lovely youthful plumpness. Developed by leading UK scientists and manufactured in the UK, the patent-pending formulation of Skinadce contains high-grade collagen and essential micronutrients.

Skinade works by increasing collagen in the bloodstream by adding 7000mg of hydrolysed marine collagen from each bottle (the daily dose), but more importantly triggers the body’s own collagen production by firing up the fibroblasts, our own collagen factories. Increasing collagen in the bloodstream also increases the body’s production of hyaluronic acid – AKA the holy grail of skin hydration!

1 bottle of Skinade is the equivalent of taking 20 pill supplements and has a much better absorption rate (80-90%). I’m completely useless at taking anything larger than a neurofen and all of the supplements I’ve seen tend to be ginormous; so the fact it’s simply a case of drinking one yummy drink per day is a HUGE plus for me and means I can genuinely easily fit it into my every day routine.

SIDE NOTE: I am a total diet coke ADDICT and have been told very strictly that caffeine needs to be avoided one hour each side of your daily bottle of Skinade as it can hinder the absorption of the essential micro-nutrients and collagen.

The ingredients:

-natural flavour of mangosteen & peach

-vitamin b complex

-vitamin c

-I-lysine

-msm

-hydrolysed marine

-organic flax seed oil

-collagen

I won’t go into all the science-y bit on the ingredients here - but to find out more about all of the ingredients you can check out the ‘What is Skinade’ page. FYI for any vegans/vegetarians Skinade contains collagen sourced from freshwater fish which vegetarians/vegans.

Drinking Skinade on a daily basis for 30 days should result in:

- firmer, more even toned, hydrated, radiant, youthful and healthier looking skin.

-reduction fine lines and wrinkles

-stronger, healthier and faster-growing hair and nails.

I’m officially starting my #SkinadeJourney today and will be reporting back in 40 days to see what benefits I’ve seen. In addition to the skin benefits I’m really hopeful the course will help sort out my brittle nails and give my damaged hair a bit of a boost.

A 30 day course of Skinade costs £99.

Fabulous Face Masks | My Top Exfoliating Face Mask & Top Hydrating Face Mask | The Ole Henrisken Lemon Strip Flash Peel + The Aveda Intensive Hydrating Mask

2016-05-11T01:31:00.002-07:00

I’m a HUGE facial fan both at-home and in-salons. In my opinion nothing beats a face mask for giving your skin a proper indulgent - and effective - pamper.

To combat congestion/breakouts and dullness plus defeat any dehydration or annoying dryness my go-to face mask combination at the moment is the Ole Henriksen Lemon Strip Flash Peel followed by the Aveda Intensive Hydrating Masque.

The Ole Henriksen Lemon Strip Flash Peel (£35) is a fantastic exfoliating mask and contains a plethora of high-tech ingredients which ensures it packs a powerful punch. It’s a thick, gloopy-gel consistency which you apply in a thin layer all over your face (avoiding the eye area!) using the little firm-bristled brush it comes with and wash off after 10 minutes.

It may seem like a small pot but due to the potency of the mask a little goes a long way so you get a lot of bang for your buck. Don’t let the name put you off as this definitely falls into the category of gentle peels that don’t require any downtime whatsoever. A slight tingling sensation can be felt after about 5 minutes but your skin is simply thoroughly exfoliated with no actual ‘peeling’ or flaking to be seen.

The Lemon Strip Flash Peel is an AHA exfoliant that contains both glycolic and lactic acids and is formulated at a pH of 3.5, ensuring these ingredients do their job exfoliating skin and boosting collagen. Micro algae extract calms and soothes whilst liquorice extract brightens and evens leaveing your skin looking brighter and smoother.

The Aveda Intensive Hydrating Masque (£25.65) is a fantastic face mask for all skin types and so many occasions; it’s soothing, cooling and oil-free (YAY!) so whether it’s post-peel, post-sunbathing or post-one-too-many-shots it’s the perfect pick me up for stressed out skin all year round and whatever the weather.

A lightweight gel texture which you can leave on for 10 minutes or longer/overnight as an intensive treatment (be warned though that it remains slightly tacky-feeling on the skin so does feel a bit odd, especially in the morning) it immediately re-hydrates and calms skin with its combination of rosewater, aloe, kelp and lavender. I highly recommend this mask as a must-have for traveling as it can be used to soothe sore wind or sunburnt faces. It’s a great price point too as a tube lasts absolutely bloomin’ ages - I got mine in December and have barely used ¼ of it even with regular use! Top tip – pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before use to achieve maximum soothing relaxation.

Be sure to let me know your favourite face masks and check out my ‘The Night Before’ Routine to see my go-to products to prepare fora big event!

Jennifer Rosellen x

Tangle Teezer | Get Your YEAH Hair!

2016-05-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

I have been a Tangle Teezer (£10.50) obsessive for years now. The trusty original Tangle Teezer is a firm favourite and a staple in my haircare routine - as you can see I own two of the original in ‘Pink Fizz’ (one lives in my bedroom and the other in my handbag) and have recently added the super cute pastel Tangle Teezer in ‘Sherbert Lemon’(£10.60*) .

Tangle Teezers can be used on both natural and synthetic hair and are particularly ideal for fragile or colour-treated hair. My natural hair is super dry and damaged and bleached to pieces which is why most of the time I wear extensions (clip in and micro-rings) so what I love about the Tangle Teezer is that it really does work for me all the time whether I'm extension-free or rocking my long locks.

It's SO important to keep your hair extensions tangle free and to ensure you aren't tugging on them when you brush them as this will put pressure on the root of your hair which is a big no-no (this goes for any kind of extensions including clip ins)! I have sadly felt the pain on a few occasions of a hair extension bring yanked out of my head as I've used a different brush on my extensions. Not only does it hurt but it's also a reaaalllllly awkward moment when a piece of your hair just suddenly flies across the room!

Each Tangle Teezer detangling brush is uniquely designed with teeth that ‘banish tangles and knots with a minimum of fuss, breakage or damage’ leaving hair ‘soft and shiny without tugging and pulling’. As I need to ensure I’m super delicate with my hair (natural and with extensions) the Tangle Teezer is perfect as it really does enable you to remove any knots and tangles with no pain or effort whatsoever. It’s also AMAZING to use on children’s hair; the little girl I nanny for has the ‘Purple Crush’ brush and loves using it (although she insists on using mine all the time as it’s pink!) and it means I can brush her hair, which is very fine and tangle-prone, quickly and easily with no fuss or complaining it hurts!

A new addition to my hair-care routine that I am LOVING right now is the Tangle Teezer Blow Styling Full Paddle Brush (*£20). This is designed to be used after you've de-tangled your hair with the Tangle Teezer to help you achieve that Salon Blowdry look at home.

I adore how big this brush is as it really speeds up the blow drying process and due to it's innovative, fixed base teeth there's absolutely no harsh tugging, snagging or breakage which is a godsend for my over processed hair. The paddle brush glides completely effortlessly through my hair PLUS it removes excess moisture for a quicker, easier blow dry and reduces frizz. LOVE!

The Tangle Teezer Aqua Splash (*£12.95) is the latest addition to the range and is specifically designed for use in the bath or shower. My favourite use for this is after I've applied conditioner or a hair mask. to use the Aqua Splash brush to ensure that it's spread evenly throughout my hair and to give the old scalp a nice massage too.

It's easy to rinse clean, incredibly lightweight, quick drying and its non-slip grip means it's perfect for little ones to use. Plus it has all the benefits of the Tangle Teezer range which means superb de-tangling with absolutely no pulling or damage.

The Tangle Teezer Compact Styler (*£13.50) has all the benefits of the original but is the perfect size to pop in your handbag for on-the-go brushing plus the removable cover protects the flexi teeth from dust, fluff and dirt, giving you 'fuss free, knot free hair on the move.'

The Tangle Teezer Compact Styler comes in ten eye-catching designs the one I have was designed by LuLu Guiness and features her tradmeark red, black and white style and I'm obsessed but can I also just say how freakin' adorable is the Pug Love One!!!! - it is now firmly on my wishlist!

I have yet to find a brush to beat the Tangle Teezer, It does what it says on the tin, they look good and the price point is great. A must-have for your hair-care routine.

Jennifer Rosellen x

Top Tips For Blogging Success | Part One

2016-04-26T10:46:00.002-07:00

1.) Don’t Compare

Your blog is unique to you. There will always be times you feel like you don’t have enough traffic, followers or comments and believe me, I know full well how disheartening it can be to pour your heart and soul (and time and effort!) into posts to feel like you’re not getting anywhere.

Don’t give up. Your blog is your little piece of the Internet which you can make completely your own. Don’t ever allow yourself to feel envious of what you see on other bloggers social media feeds, never forget that people only show what they want other people to see. Don’t compare your behind-the-scenes to others ‘highlight reel’. No one’s life is as perfect as it looks.

If you focus on making your content the best that it can be and if you can hit ‘publish’ and feel bloody proud of your post then THAT is what it’s all about. How happy blogging makes you should be the only way you measure your success. Anything else is a bonus.

2.) Get Social

Now this may seem like an obvious one but if you want to gain traffic then you need to be active on every social platform out there. I’m talking creating Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Snapchat accounts and investing the time and effort to be active on every single one. I’m also a copywriter so I’ve created an online portfolio for my writing at JournoPortfolio which offers both free and paid hosting – a great place to showcase your favourite work. I also have my blog listed on my LinkedIn and whilst I don’t share every post as a LinkedIn update I will share the link to my blog every so often, especially with more lifestyle related topics. It’s all about visibility and getting your blog out there to new readers in a genuine and non-spammy way.

Make sure your username is consistent across all accounts and include a social media widget on your blog so that people can find you quickly and easily on social. There are lots of guides on how to do this, such as this one for blogger and here for wordpress.

REMEMBER. There's no instant ROI in social media. You have to put the work in; then slowly but surely you will see results.

3.) Get Savvy With Your Social

Remember how I said you need to be active on every social platform? Well that really is the key. Get active and Engage. Engage. Engage. That is the number one rule of social. It’s a place to share your content but also to chat, support and connect with others.

Twitter.

Twitter chats are a great way to connect to other bloggers, find and share great tips, become a part of the community, increase your visibility in a genuine way (don’t spam these chats with your links! If you’re involved in the chat and making interesting and relevant points then people will want to follow you. If you spam you’ll just piss people off) and discover other awesome accounts to follow. Becky has put together a great list of all the Blogger chats and times.

There are also some fabulous twitter accounts out there who will RT your content if you @mention them - so make sure you’re following and mentioning @FemaleBloggerRT and @BloggingGals.

Don’t send Auto-DM’s. Just…just don’t. Okay. Please? It’s not 2011. No one cares, it’s lame and spammy and just not helpful. STOP IT. STOP. DO use scheduling tools such as Hootsuite to ensure you're active on Twitter even at times you may be busy - schedule links to current and old posts but be wary that you can start to look like a robot if all you're tweeting is blog links with zero interaction. Use a mixture of automated and live tweeting,

Instagram.

Try and post at least once a day. Lots of people have an Instagram ‘theme’, I’ve recently started to try stick to a cleaner, slicker look using high quality photos (you can see it literally change from February onwards ha). I’ll be doing a separate post on improving your visuals which will cover Instagram in more detail but as I began focusing on researching how to curate my Instagram feed to support my blog brand (yeah , no, believe me I know it sounds wanky) I found the following posts by Kayleigh and Laura extremely helpful and suggest you give them a read as they explain all about the apps they use and how they achieve a gorgeous Instagram aesthetic.

For Instagram video inspiration, have a look at HudaBeauty – she creates her own and regrams others all of which receive crazy high levels of engagement. Check out the Instagram blog on hyperlapse and PhotoJoJo’s comprehensive guide to shooting awesome Instagram vids.

Two more Instagram tidbits – follow people and engage by liking their photos and leaving comments. I have started to use hashtags on every single one of my posts as the first comment. Yes it can feel a bit cringe to do this but it works, so I do it. At the bottom of this post I’ve included a list of hashtags(*) that I a) personally use on my photos b) search for and then follow users and/or comment on their photos.

If you’re engaging with people and making that effort then you will start to see people following you back and liking and commenting on your photos. Again, this does take time but it’s worth it.

Snapchat

Snapchat is growing in popularity at an insane rate (over 100 million daily users!!) and has even overtaken Instagram for some demographics. If you’re serious about blogging and social media then it’s just not possible to ignore Snapchat as a tool any more. I’ve recently joined (username JRosellenM and I’ll add my snapcode at the bottom of the post) and am actually loving using it, both for creating my own content and for viewing others. It’s silly, it’s fun, it’s real-life and it’s real-time.

“Live” content - especially video - is rapidly becoming a necessary component of social marketing . Snapchat is Twitter meets Youtube and is reality TV for everybody. Snapchat allows a glimpse into people’s lives that feels real and authentic. If you’re already a Youtuber and vlog it’s a great way to give your followers even more insight into your world, or if (like me) you’re not quite ready or even if you don’t ever want to be a Youtuber it’s a fun little way of sharing snapshots of your everyday life which doesn’t involve any fancy lighting, expensive cameras or hours of editing.

It’s also a great way to share ‘exclusives’ with your readers and give them an incentive to follow you, for example discount codes or workouts, as what you’re sharing can only be found if the user follows you on snapchat and views your story within 24 hours, creating a sense of urgency and then - boom - this person is now following you and is an engaged part of your community.

Check out these top 10 Snapchatters who are using Snapchat to enhance their brand. My favourite Snapchat Influencer/Storyteller(who isn’t on that list but is on this one) is definitely Tristan as his snap stories genuinely make me laugh (and he’s cute. YAS I AM THAT SHALLOW).

Facebook

I’ve only recently began using my Facebook Page so my numbers are still pretty low. My issue with delaying in creating and actively using my Facebook page was ‘ZOMG MY IRL FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL SEE THIS’ but Facebook is a wonderful tool and should be utilised. When I actually recently re-branded my page and invited friends and family to like it a whole bunch of them did, which gave me a nice warm fuzzy feeling and shows that us bloggers should be PROUD of what we have created and should be sharing it everywhere!

I love using the carousel option when I share my posts as it makes the post visually appealing (and visual content is key!) BuynowBlogLater also uses the carousel option. It’s super simple, FREE and you can read more about it on Facebooks carousel advert page. Another example of a popular and well done facebook page is Anna’s – she posts at least 2x a day incorporating a mixture of blog posts and simply sharing snaps, using short amounts of text paired with great visuals.

Facebook organic reach is dead and Facebook wants you to invest in advertising. It’s as simple as that. Boosted posts and Facebook adverts are an avenue worth exploring once your blog is established but my tips for increasing Facebook engagement (based on past clients and I need to start doing this myself!) are:

- Share every post to Facebook. ALWAYS include a visual and use the carousel option wherever possible.
- Host giveaways and competitions where part of the entry requirement is to ‘like’ your page
- Share your Facebook link on your other social media platforms

- Invite your friends and family to ‘like’ your page
- Invest in paid advertising further down the line

Pinterest

Ah Pinterest. I have a weird relationship with Pinterest. I have heard such magical things about traffic generated from it but haven’t experienced this myself BUT I must throw my hands up in the air and admit that ‘sorting out my Pinterest’ has been on my to-do list for weeks now and so it currently looks a bit…naff (proof). I have added a ‘Pin It’ option to my blog which allows readers to pin any images they like to their Pinterest board – more info on how to do this here.

As I am actively still learning about Pinterest myself (I am actually attending one of Melanie Duncan’s free Webinars later today on The Power Of Pinning) I’m going to share with you some blogs that I have saved and am currently reading and making notes from which are all about curating your Pinterest boards and maximising your traffic and some of my favourite Pinners:

What Katy Said – Why Pinterest Is My Biggest Source Of Traffic
Blogging Wizard - How To Drive 3x More Traffic To Your Blog With Pinterest
Maximise Social Business - 9 Ways to Use Pinterest to Drive Traffic to Your Blog
Frassy – An example of a properly curated Pinterest
Zoella – Another example of a properly curated Pinterest
Gemma Magpie – ANOTHER example of an awesome Pinterest
Tales Of A Pale Face – Yup, one more example of a kick-ass Pinterest
eHow – The final example of a perfect Pinterest

Gimme Some Oven - 5 Tips on how to optimise photos for Pinterest (hint VERTICAL VERTICAL VERTICAL)
Melanie Duncan – The Power Of Pinning

4.) Brainstorm, Make Notes & To-Do Lists.

The idea that Bloggers are obsessed with stationary is no lie. I have genuinely started carrying around a little notebook and series of coloured pens so that I can write down blog post ideas whenever they may strike. This post, for example, was something I thought up as my battery had died (nooooooooo!) on the train back from London. I sat scribbling away on my ‘to-do’ list and it included things such as ‘SORT OUT PINTEREST’ and it struck me that a post with blogging tips would be helpful – et voila. Here we are.

Brainstorming ideas is a great way to come up with new content and a phrase that I always try and remember is ‘Think like a reader’ – what posts would I find helpful and really want to see and read, then start jotting down ideas.

To-Do lists. Now, as I am heavily focusing once again on my blog there’s a mammoth list of things that I need to do and it can be slightly overwhelming (she says whilst rocking back and forth in the corner of the room). SO I find that having one overall list of things that need to be done followed by daily to-do lists help me achieve things in small chunks. The daily to-do lists need to be realistic, achievable tasks and there is SUCH a sense of satisfaction when you can cross something off your list. Finally, a little self-discipline is needed – if you’ve set yourself the task of doing ‘X, Y and Z’ today then damn well sit down and do it.

Don’t procrastinate (well, I mean a little bit obviously but not too much!) and don’t put things off until ‘tomorrow’. No excuses. If you don’t manage get it all done then that’s fine - at least you know you tried your best and you’ve made a start which means less work for you to do at a later date.

5.) Make Small Investments

"Anything you're good at do yourself; everything else, punt.” - Gary Vaynerchuk

If you’re serious about blogging then I believe a few small investments are absolutely worth it.

1) Blog design

HTML, Javascript, coding….basically anything technical gives me a headache. I don’t understand it and I can’t do it. No matter HOW many hours or tutorials I watch I will inevitable f**k it up and it’s just not worth the time or effort of me trying to master it. So, I use a blog design which is created and installed by PipDig. Yes this costs money and any extras I have asked for come at an extra cost but for me hiring an expert to do the job makes far more sense than me trying to fudge it.

2) Camera Accessories

Don’t have a willing boyfriend to trot around after you taking your photos? ME NEITHER. (Oh Haaaay there fellow singletons.) Yup, if you’re a solo sally then it makes taking photos of oneself INFINTIINELTY TRICKER. Enter the tripod. Invest in one of these babies and it will make your life a whole lot easier. A wireless remote means you aren’t constantly running like a madwoman to get into position after you’ve set the self-timer too. Win. (Also if you are loved up then you can get super cute lovey-dovey coupley photos without asking some random to watch you frolick up and down the beach.) A selfie stick (WHEN USED CORRECTLY - OMFG GET YOUR ARM OUT OF THE SHOT PEOPLE. COME ON!) is a fabulous little tool to have, blogger or non-blogger, when snapping photos or shooting video out and about.

-Mobile tripod and remote -DSLR Canon Remote Control -DSLR Tripod -Selfie Stick

Part TWO will be up later this week! Please let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like me to cover.

Snapcode:

(*) Hashtags (mainly for Instagram):

Blonde Bbloggers Bloggerstyle Bbloggersuk Bloggersuk Bloggersofinstagram Fashionblogger

Girls Style Styleblogger Styleblog Styleoftheday Styleinspiration Stylediaries Styleinspo Styleguide Fashionbloggers Fashionbloggerstyle Fashionbloggerstyleblogger Fashionbloggeruk

Stylediary Travelblog Travelblogger Travelbloggers Travelblogging Travelblogs Travelbloggerlife

Beauty Beautyblogger Beautycare Beautyqueen Beautyguru Beautytips Beautyjunkie Beautyproduct

Beautyvlogger Baking Bakingtime Bakinglif Bakingqueen Bakingporn Streetstyle Streetstyles Streetstylefashion Streetstyled streetstyle_gf streetstyleinspirations streetstylephotography SweetTreat Londonlife londontown Londoner Londonfashion Londongirl londonsupercars Nom Yum Obsessed Goals Want Heels HeelAddict ShoePorn FoodPorn Inspo Inspiration QOTD QuoteOfTheDay WiseWords Positivity

Why losing a friend hurts so much more than losing a boyfriend.

2016-04-24T11:34:00.001-07:00

I don't like women. There, I said it. Now obviously this is hyperbole but the truth is, as a rule, I generally really don't like women. Perhaps a better way to phrase it is that I just don't get on or click with other women very often. On the magical rare occasion where I meet and recognise a kindred spirit, a fellow little ball of weirdness and too much mascara, I fall fast and hard into BFF love.

If I call you my friend then it means I love you with every single fiber of my being

I'm fiercely loyal and protective and would drop anything to be there to support you. But once you enter my circle of trust then boy oh boy do I trust you. My friends know sh*t about me that no boyfriend has ever or will ever know. A true friend is a comrade, a confidante and your partner in crime. We sit and we share with them our innermost thoughts, whatsapp them our seriously crazy midnight musings and laugh and cry during those 3am drunken chats. Our girlfriends see us at our best, funniest, drunkest, lowest and most vulnerable points - yet they still chose to love us. The phrase 'squad goals' may often be used tongue-in-cheek, but the sentiment behind it is real. All of us want a group of close friends, our very own little girl gang, that we know we can count on no matter what.

Boys, on the other hand? I'm in love with a different one each week

(Again, hyperbole) but seriously, although it's certainly not actually love, I do become enamored ridiculously quickly with members of the opposite sex. I've had five serious boyfriends and god knows how many dates over the past decade so it's safe to say that I find it much easier to connect with guys then I do with girls. I've had my fair share of rejection and have been completely and utterly heartbroken twice, once aged 21 and again aged 25. However this is where the old adage 'the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else' rings true when it comes to lovers.

There's no quick-fix for heartbreak

I'm not suggesting that hopping into bed with the first guy that catches your eye across a crowded bar when your seven drinks down and convinced your dance moves rival Rihanna's is going to mend your broken heart (hint, it probably won't) but, a lover can be replaced and eventually when you do meet someone else, the pain, whilst never truly forgotten, is certainly lessened when you find happiness with your new partner.

The reasons for relationships ending are endless

In my teens I ended it with someone because I had developed a crush on someone else. This guy was and is a genuinely wonderful guy who I remain friends to this day - nearly a decade later. There was nothing wrong with him as a person our relationship had just run its course. Similarly I've found myself broken up with for reasons ranging from long distance, not finding me attractive anymore and simply growing apart. Ultimately, there's only room in your life for one lover and if you end up being just a chapter in someone's story although it may be sad, it's not indicative of you as a person. You either break up or you get married. You and that guy just weren't end game, and that's okay. There's plenty more fish in the sea and there's more dating apps than you can shake a stick at.

Yes it fu*king sucks but you will recover from it, you will meet someone else and you will fall in love again

Friendships don't play by the same numbers game as lovers. Well, for most of us anyway. Everyone knows that relationships end and whilst your ego can certainly take a good beating, ultimately there is no shame in being broken up with and dumping someone doesn't make you a bad person. Plus it's okay, nay EXPECTED, to be upset about a relationship ending. But a friendship ending? There are no clear cut rules on how we're supposed to respond to that. Because there isn't a limit to how many friends you can have when someone decides they no longer want you as one of theirs, it seriously hurts.

There's no softening the blow

There's no puppy dog eyes, head shaking, a sigh followed by a 'it's not you, it's me' because, actually, when someone ends a friendship what they're really saying is 'it's not me, it's you.' Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned but nothing compares to a women pissed off with a friend. Therapist Donald Walch explains that, for women, hurt and resentment pile up in their mind. He refers to it as 'the stack' and in the stack are the hurts and resentments of the entire relationship. Like a kettle reaching boiling point, when a women decides she wants to end her friendship with you she will often unleash 'the stack', which basically means you have to listen to all the reasons why the person you viewed as a friend thinks you're a shi*tty person.

Everything you've ever done or said can and will be used against you

And once someone has explained all the reasons why they think you're a sh*itty person, it's kinda impossible to come back from. Plus, as Tracy Vaillancourt, professor at the University of Ottawa School of Psychology, explains, women often use less obvious yet more complex ways of expressing hostility, meaning a friendship break-up often becomes an ongoing silent yet vicious battle as both parties engage in things like social exclusion, criticizing appearances and spreading rumors. How many of us have fallen out with someone and then seen a wide variety of thinly-veiled Instagram photos and tweets which we just know are directed at us (and hands up now ladies, how many of us have done the exact same thing?). An ex-friend not only sticks the knife in but revels in twisting it - and they know exactly where to hit you so it hurts.

Lovers are like ice cream, friendship is like sand

If you drop your 99 Flake ice cream on the floor, it's a pretty sad occasion, right? But you can just go and buy a new one and it will taste just as good. Maybe they'll have run out and you'll have to wait a little while or even reluctantly try another flavour but then BAM you discover mint choc chip and wonder what the hell you were ever doing wasting your time eating vanilla. That's boys. But friends? Friends are like grains of sand. Every single grain of sand is completely unique and once a friendship has slipped through our fingers there's never any real way of replacing it.

As Carrie Bradshaw once uttered, 'Maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with' and your soulmate rejecting you?

That really is the ultimate heartbreak.

A version of this post also appears on Elite Daily.

The Lust List

2016-04-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

From couture handbags to high-street-heels, cocktail dresses to sizzling bikinis here's everything that's currently on my wishlist...

Oily Skin Saviours

2016-04-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Following on from my post about my favourite matte foundations I thought I'd also share some hero products that join the battle in keeping shine at bay.

Seventeen Flawless Poreless Primer (£5.99)

The seventeen flawless poreless primer is great to use both under and over makeup. It has a light, balm like texture and I simply dab it on my T-Zone using my fingers when using it as a primer or press it on with a beauty blender/brush/powder puff when using over make-up. It's completely invisible and doesn't change the colour of your makeup which is a win for me as mattifying products can often leave a chalky residue or wipe off half your foundation!

I use this more as a mattifier and a primer to help my makeup application and to increase it's longevity as it's not the most effective product for hiding pores. However at under £6 it's a great addition to the fight against oily skin!

My HG product for pore minimising is the Clinique Pore Minimiser Instant Perfector and you can read my post and see the before and after photos here.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar MAT (£14.50)

This moisturiser is for 'oily skin prone to imperfections and shine.' which pretty much sums my pesky skin up to a T! It is also suitable for sensitive skin which I love as I can wear it safe in the knowledge it wont irritate or break me out. I find this to be an incredibly lightweight soft and hydrating moisturiser which immediately sinks into the skin leaving a mattified finish - I often wear it on no-makeup-days when I want a slightly more polished look and it's great if (like me) you often don't wear makeup when sunbathing to dab on over your SPF to ensure your face doesn't look like an oil slick.

It makes a great base for foundation and helps combat shine but doesn't have that awful effect of making make-up flake or cake. It's a pretty good price point too as a little goes a long way. I only use this as a day makeup as I prefer something more heavy duty for night time.

P.S The Vichy Normaderm is discontinued! Shock horror! I am currently looking for a replacement fave so shout if you know any!

Jennifer Rosellen x

My Top 5 Mattfying Foundations

2016-04-19T11:17:00.003-07:00

My top 5 (yes there's 6 in the photo but it's because I have the Clean&Clear foundation in two shades!) mattifying foundations to suit all budgets. These are my favourite foundations for ensuring that my oily skin is kept under control throughout the day.

From L-R.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturiser (Oil Free) Shade Medium (£29.50)

I swore by this product during my recent trip to New York as my skin decided to break out from a combination of jet lag and too many mimosas (when in Rome!/NYC..) SO I needed something that would even out my skin-tone and conceal those pesky blemishes, but was oil free and non-comedogenic (non pore-blocking) to combat the annoying break out. Super easy to apply (I used a Real Techniques Stippling Brush and then blended with my fingers) this provided me with the perfect amount of coverage and, thanks to the oil free formula, left me looking nice and matte and meant that I could wear makeup without further angering my not-very-happy skin. This product is hard to find so a great dupe is the Bobbi Brown Oil Free Long Wear Even Finish Foundation

Clean and Clear Hint Of Tint Cover And Correct Cream (Oil Free) Shades Light and Medium (£5.49)

I purchased these recently on a whim due to the aforementioned break-out as I wanted something that would provide coverage but actually help to fight the blemishes. At just over £5 each these are a nice wont-break-the-bank-budget-option and ideal as summer rolls round for something to lazily slap on with your fingers on those warmer days that won’t leave you looking like an oil slick once it hits midday. The shade range isn't great which is why I picked up both the light and medium shades (currently mixing them together) as the medium is really rather dark! This product also works well as a foundation primer if you're looking for a full-face, matte look for an evening out.

Bourjouis Air Mat foundation Shade 03 Light Beig (£9.99)

Non-drying and super easy to apply (I use a beauty blender). It's enriched with 'mattifying micronized powders' and despite having no idea what that really means, I do find it leaves me shine-free longer than most other foundations, The coverage is buildable so one layer gives medium coverage whilst still feeling lightweight enough so your skin doesn't feel caked or tight and it doesn't look completely one dimensional. My shade is 03 Light Beige which is a perfect match for me when I'm using gradual tan - I'd compare it to MAC NC25. If I was fake tanning or had seen some sun this year (sob I need a holiday!) I'd definitely need the 04 Beige. (For my full face makeup routine including the Air Mat foundation click here)

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Foundation Shade Sand (£7.99)

'24hr Matte without the flat' this is true, but you do need to apply sparingly and work the product into your skin FAST using a good Stippling brush or Beauty Blender. L'oreal claims it offers 'perfect coverage, no cakey effect' and out of all the foundations above this is definitely the most full-coverage option and gives you that 'fully made up face' / 'doll' look so do make sure if you're using this in the daytime that you apply in natural light. I've also found it can oxidise on the skin slightly, so go a shade lighter than you usually would. 'Clinically proven; waterproof, steamproof' - this is absolutely true; this bad-boy is staying put all day! If you like to wear makeup to work out then this is a really good one for gym bunnies. Enriched with perlite technology, and reduces the appearance of shine up to 24 hours this is a must-have for gals who like a full coverage, matte look.

Mac Studio Fix Fluid Foundation Shade NC25 (£22)

An oldie but a goodie - this is my go to foundation for when I want a seriously flawless finish. I wore this years ago when I was a bridesmaid for my best friend’s wedding and I have yet to find anything that is as good as this. The problem is that my skin is really not a fan so I have to keep it as my 'special occasion foundation'. It provides medium-heavy coverage and needs to be blended in properly and quickly (like the L'oreal Paris Matte foundation) to avoid any cakiness. MAC describes this foundation as 'An oil-controlling formula that offers a natural matte finish with medium to full coverage.' and they've pretty much summed it up - an absolute winner for oily skin this is a fantastic option for those wanting a medium to full coverage matte finish.

Jennifer Rosellen x

Elemis Radiant Moment Gift Set | Cleanser, Mask, Day Cream and Night Cream

2016-04-15T10:54:00.002-07:00

Finally, a skincare gift set where I'm excited about every single product! The Elemis Radiant Moment Gift Set not only packs a powerful punch when it comes to products that work but it comes in this gorgeous pink box and is available for £33.92 from Time To Spa (saving you £26 as it's worth over £60!).

I love a good gift box but most of the time there's always one item that's just a bit 'meh' (usually hand cream, soz hand cream but I just cannot get excited over you. Same goes for shower gel) but this bad boy is a total winner containing a range of rejuvenating skincare products to nourish your skin and help you get your glow on.

The gift set consists of the pro-radiance cream cleanser,fruit active rejuvenating mask, hydra-boost day cream and hydra-nourish night cream so the products can be used at different steps in your routine or used together (cleanser, mask, day/night cream) for a mini pampering session.

Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser (30ml - special edition):

Luxurious and deeply cleansing, this is a gorgeous cream cleanser which removes all trace of face makeup. It leaves skin feeling moisturised and comforted, not dry or tight, and is a great cleanser addition for every skin type
.
Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask (15ml):

The radiance boosting face mask is enriched with extracts of strawberry and kiwi fruit to deeply cleanse, rejuvenate and brighten your complexion. I LOVE this as it’s effective but gentle so it’s the perfect ‘night before a big event’ mask as it will leave you hydrated and glowing with your skin feeling super soft and best of all NO pesky break outs!

Hydra-Boost Day Cream (50ml - full size):

This super nourishing moisturiser is rich in antioxidants and works to smooth, nourish and hydrate your skin. It includes the powerhouse ingredient that is hyaluronic acid to quench thirsty skin plus starflower oil to lock in moisture. Organic myrtle and vitamin E help to protect from damaging free radicals.

Hydra-Nourish Night Cream (20ml):

An antioxidant rich night cream that sinks into the skin after application- so no sliding off the pillow with this baby plus your skin feels like it can breathe unlike some heavier night creams - it intensely moisturises and softens skin while you sleep. The night cream also contains hyaluronic acid plus ‘persian silk tree extract to help reduce signs of fatigue’. This gorgeous night cream leaves your skin feeling smooth, moisturised and rebalanced.

Jennifer Rosellen x

My Guide To: New York | Brunch, Lunch & Dinner | #JRoTravels

2016-04-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

I am completely and utterly OBSESSED with New York. It is by far my favourite City in the world and each time I visit I fall a little more in love. One of the best bits of NYC is the incredible selection of restaurants - it's simply a foodie heaven.

The above shot was taken whilst still in good old blighty whilst having breakfast at Giraffe but it gives you a hint as to what food may feature rather heavily...!

So read on and find out my top brunch, lunch and dinner recommendations in New York.

Brunch

Clinton Street Restaurant

4 Clinton Street New York, NY 10002.

This little gem is easy to miss if you don't know where to look, so keep an eye out for the big green flag and the bright red door nestled among the otherwise inconspicuous array of shops. Another sign that you’ve come to the right place will be a small gaggle of people in a queue snaking along the sidewalk, yup, the Clinton Street Restaurant is so popular that there is often a wait to find a table. I went twice during my visit and there was a short queue each time but you simply pop your name on the list and can either stay and wait or go for a little wander to pass the time.

It’s worth noting there’s the Clinton Street Restaurant and the Clinton Street Bakery on the same street or you may wander into the Bakery looking for brunch…which is exactly what I did! They expanded after the Clinton Street brunch became infamous and so the Clinton Street Restaurant is the place to go for a sit down meal. If there's a queue I strongly suggest once you've put your name down walking the 30 seconds to the bakery and buying yourself a delicious hot chocolate or a small sweet treat to enjoy whilst you wait - but be sure not to take too long as if you miss your name when it's called you're straight to the back of the queue!

This intimate eatery shines for one main reason - the absolutely flawless brunch line-up. From the signature (voted the best panckes in New York City no less!) blueberry pancakes made with lots of love (and butter), to its mouth-watering omelettes with lashings of melted cheese and all the toppings you could wish for. On top of the best pancakes, Clinton Street has racked up numerous other best-in-NYC-type awards (best muffins, best biscuits, best brunch, etc.) and the praise is well deserved. The restaurant also offers a selection of lunch dishes such as the Clinton ST Cheeseburger and the infamous fried chicken and waffles - a firm favorite among the regular clientele.

On my first visit I opted for the buttermilk pancakes, which were golden, fluffy pancake perfection, with a side of double smoked bacon topped with a drizzle of warm maple butter. I can certainly see why Clinton Street’s pancakes have been named the best-in-NYC! On my next visit I opted for a mouth-watering cheese-feast of an omelette (goats cheese and monterey jack to be precise) and again was left amazed at the delicious-ness.

For brunch-on-a-budget and some good old American comfort food Clinton Street is the way to go. It’s also a great place for solo travellers as there are a number of single seats at the bar, meaning you can skip the queue and slide right in.

Lunch

The Loeb Boathouse Central Park

Central Park, E 72nd St, New York, NY 10021.

For lunch with a side of incredible views and a dash of the WOW factor, look no further than The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park. Established in 1954 and offering simply stunning views of both the park and the adjacent lake, The Loeb houses a bar, express cafe and a restaurant. So whether it's a quick drink, a light snack or a leisurely lunch this really is the ultimate destination.

Just a short stroll into New York's most well-known and beloved park takes you to this understated urban oasis. During my visit in February it was bitingly-cold but the sun was shining as I made my way to my table at the Lakeside Restaurant. Taking my seat and shaking off my heavy winter coat I sat gazing out at the stunning scenery, watching as the rowboats bobbed idly by the side of the frozen lake. An elegant yet relaxed dining experience, the Lakeside Restaurant boasts an impressive menu and knowledgeable waiters but beware it is often very busy so the service can be slow.

A friend had raved about the Crab Cakes and insisted I must try them so I opted for the ‘Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad with Caper Remoulade Sauce’ washed down with a delightfully fizzy and fruity Prosecco and Peach Puree Bellini. The presentation was flawless and the food delicious. Melt-in-the-mouth and perfectly flavoured, I simply cannot fault the food and the dish was one of the best I have ever tasted.

Prices err slightly on the expensive side so this is more of a celebration/occasion lunch (perfect for proposals and they do weddings and parties too). An absolute must-visit during your trip to New York, even if you only pop in and sit in the Lounge in one of the sumptuous armchairs nestled round the cosy fireplace and enjoy a glass of red or a cocktail.

Dinner

Gallagher's Steakhouse New York

228 West 52nd Street, NY 10019

In 1927, America is in Prohibition and right in the heart of New York City, Gallagher's opens as a Speakeasy on 52nd Street, instantly becoming the place to be for New York’s gamblers, sports figures and Broadway stars. In 1933 the prohibition ends and Gallagher’s becomes Broadway's first steakhouse. With its trademark combination of smoky steak, classic cocktails and ‘wait staff that never forgets a name’ Gallagher’s still reigns supreme in 2016 as New York’s favourite steakhouse and shoots straight to the top of my list as my absolute favourite dining experience in NYC.

Before heading on over to Broadway to see Jersey Boys (SEE IT. IT’S AMAZING) we ambled rather aimlessly around Times Square and the theatre district looking for somewhere to dine that wasn’t a fast food chain. The sight of the blood red and gold facade and twinkling chandeliers of Gallagher’s caught our eyes so we decided to take a peek inside. As soon as we entered we were greeted by the sight of a vibrant, buzzing restaurant and welcomed by the friendliest waiters I have ever experienced. With comfy booths, intimate tables and walls adorned with pictures of stars and sports figures - many of which were actually taken at Gallagher’s - the atmosphere attracts the rich and famous and remains ‘the place to be in the theatre district’.

Moments after being seated we realised we were in fact dining right next to Kelsey Grammer (AKA Frasier Crane!) and this celeb spot made a wonderful evening even more memorable. I subtly asked our waiter his advice on how to approach Kelsey without disturbing him (Gallagher’s, whilst retaining a homely, friendly feeling is still a fancy restaurant) and he glided over and had a quick word. Minutes later Kelsey stood up and made his way over to our table, introduced himself and began chatting away with us, even posing for photos before making his way back to his booth. I’m not sure who was more smiling harder, my friend and I or the staff at seeing the two British girls giggling in the corner.

Every single waiter was a delight to talk to and chatted with ease with all of the patrons and imparted their knowledge and suggestions regarding the various options on both the menu and the wine list. I opted for a glass of Merlot and one of the specialties, the Grilled half Chicken with Lemon and olive oil served with caponata (I know, I know - a steakhouse and I order chicken!) which was exquisite. It’s really no surprise to me that the restaurant features in the 2016 Michelin guide.

The prices also err on the expensive side but in my opinion are absolutely worth it given the quality of the food and drink, the ambience and the brilliance of the staff. Gallagher’s is now a firm favourite of mine and I can’t wait to pay it another visit on my next trip. Whether you’re shopping in Times Square or seeing a show on Broadway I cannot recommend Gallagher’s highly enough.

Hey baby I hear the blues a-callin'...

Jennifer Rosellen x

The Five Minute Face

2016-04-12T07:49:00.002-07:00

'I'm either late or I don't go' - this quote perfectly sums me up. A snooze-button addict I'm not one for leaving myself lots of time for my beauty routine in the mornings (you people who manage to eat breakfast are a complete mystery to me. I don't think I've had time for breakfast since I learnt to tie my own shoes. Congrats on doing adult-ing right!). Instead I often find myself rushing around like a headless chicken and relying on my trusty, fail-safe and foolproof five minute face products.

Whether you're new to makeup and want to know how you can create a full face using less than ten products, need a seriously time saving, super speedy, no fuss routine in the mornings or (like me) you find yourself having to apply your makeup on the go (oh hai fellow train-make-uppers. HIGH FIVE! Have you found that people really like to stare, like PROPERLY STARE at you as you do your makeup on the train? #NothingToSeeHereJustSlayingMyContourOnTheSevenFiftyFiveToWaterloo....) then read on!

I have pesky oily skin which means that whilst the new thing at the moment is everyone focusing on their 'strobing', I spend half my time manically trying to mattify my face. Luckily for me Bourjouis have created the delightful Air Mat foundation (£9.99). Compared to other matte foundations it's non-drying and super easy to apply (I use a beauty blender). It's enriched with 'mattifying micronized powders' and despite having no idea what that really means, I do find it leaves me shine-free longer than most other foundations, The coverage is buildable so one layer gives medium coverage whilst still feeling lightweight enough so your skin doesn't feel caked or tight and it doesn't look completely one dimensional. My shade is 03 Light Beige which is a perfect match for me when I'm using gradual tan - I'd compare it to MAC nc25. If I was fake tanning or had seen some sun this year (sob I need a holiday!) I'd definitely need the 04 Beige.

I pair this matte foundation with my trusty staple Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (£5.49). Now, for us oily skinned gals the foundation version of this would leave us looking like Edward Cullen (oh yeah, a Twlight reference in 2016!) in other words, NOPE. However, for concealing and illuminating specific areas (under the eyes, temples, anywhere you want to highlight or conceal) the Rimmel wake me up concealer is absolutely perfect. I dab on and blend with either a beauty blender or my dab with my fingers. You can check out my 'How to conceal dark circles and shadows' post for a more detailed guide on concealing plus you'll see I featured this concealer way back in 2013 - a true timeless makeup bag staple.

The duo together ensure I'm mattified without my makeup looking like a mask and hides all signs of my late night netflix binge-watching.

Hands down the Benefit Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine mattifier (£23.50) is my ultimate, HHG (holy holy grail - yes I love it THAT much!) powder. I cannot rave about it enough, it sets my makeup and removes shine whilst seemingly remaining undetectable. Benefit sum this beauty up perfectly: 'Just twist, tap & sweep to look fresh-faced, without a trace!' I love the little applicator brush it comes with as it's perfect for those hard-to-reach areas but I often use my EcoTools Bamboo Powder Brush (£9.99) to sweep a light dusting all over my face, focusing on my T-Zone.

I've gone through about eight of those bad boys and have converted my friends to become Agent Zero Shine fans (side note, I am incredibly useless and, without fail, forget to twist the thingy closed each time I use it so I always get powder EVERYWHERE. This annoys and amuses my friends who can always tell which product is theirs as they manage to open it without covering anyone nearby in a light sprinkling of powder. Point: twist the thingy shut every time you use it.

Only negative - absolutely no way to know how much you have left so, indubitably, one is always caught by surprise when one realises (No I don't know why I started speaking like that either but going with it...) that there's none left and one must then dash off to the nearest shop to repurchase (thanks for sticking with me through that 'one' digression).

Two staples that wont break the bank and will still leave you beautifully bronzed. Up first, the Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder (£7.99) which I apply with the EcoTools brush. I use this as a dupe for Benefit's Hula and Bobbi Browns Bronzer in medium - it's a matte, true medium brown (remember my completely outdated reference to Edward Cullen? This bronzer is perfect for oily skin and for ensuring any active acne or acne scars remain hidden, not highlighted) which I apply all over my face and neck. The coverage is extremely buildable so this is perfect for most complexions and suits me whether I'm rocking my natural pale look or my ever-so-slightly-bordering-on-orange night out look!

Next is a well-loved and slightly battered looking Sleek Makeup Face Form in medium (£9.99). I mainly use the darkest, matte brown contour powder for super subtle contouring and sweep it lightly onto the hollows of my cheeks and up towards my temples. In the daytime I apply the highlight shade under my eyebrows and the inner corner of my eyes (I use my little fingers for this).

For evenings/nights out, if I'm having a good skin day or know I wont be venturing outside I will use swish (technical term...) an angles brush into the highlight and the sparkly brown (I'm sorry, truly, I tried for ages to think of a better way to describe it but 'sparkly brown' really is the most accurate) colour and apply to my cheekbones. I often use the colours as eye-shadows to create a subtle cut crease look. Using the highlight for the inner corners of the eye and under the eyebrows, the sparkly brown colour all over the lid and the matte brown in the crease. Again, the colour is buildable so the products can take you from day to night.

I absolutely adore the L'Oreal Double Extension Beauty Tubes Mascara (£11.29). Quite simply, I can achieve gorgeous looking, non-clumpy, full lashes in two simple steps. I layer on the white base coat (I also use this base coat when applying other mascaras. I find it works better than eyelash curlers and it helps stop smudging!) and then apply a generous coating of the mascara itself.

I will do a full review on this baby soon as it's another HG product of mine.

The finishing touches!

I apply Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara (£4.99 shade dark brown) which is literally a mascara for your eyebrows. I have Tracie Giles 3D semi-permanent brows but this ensures any foundation that's decided to cling to my eyebrows vanishes and my natural brows stay in place. I'm left with fabulously defined, natural looking brows (no clumping, streaking or flaking to be seen!) and it's incredibly easy to use, I simple very gently sweep it back and forth over my brows ensuring an even colour deposit.

I dot Benefit Cha Cha Tint (£24.50) a delightfully sheer mango-tinted lip and cheek stain onto the apples of my cheeks and pat in a circular motion with my fingers and then apply a small amount to my lips, I top the whole look off with a slick of Vaseline (£2.19).

Et voila, the five minute face!

Jennifer Rosellen x

My Guide To: Santorini | #JRoTravels

2016-04-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

Santorini is a truly picture-perfect place coupled with fantastic weather, charming locals and delicious cuisine. A visit to Santorini is ideal both for a romantic retreat or a glorious
getaway with friends.

From sipping cocktails sprawled lazily on a sun lounger to roaming the cobbled streets of the surrounding town, watching the sunset from the veranda of a tucked away hill top restaurant to leaping into the blissful sea and swimming towards the Islands active volcano to explore the infamous hot springs and mud baths sunset, Santorini is an ultimate must-visit holiday location.

Santorini is simply stunning, there's no two ways about it. Thanks to it's vast array of luxurious accommodation it's a serious contender for a beautiful destination wedding or the perfect honeymoon spot.

My friend and I (both single pringles) both fell in love with the idea of visiting such a picturesque holiday destination and so decided to sod the fact we were neither brides nor newlyweds and head on over - and do it in style! We stayed at two different resorts during our stay. We splashed out for 4 nights at The Pegasus Suites and Spa where we stayed in the absolutely incredible Angels Infinity Pool Suite complete with our own fresh water, private heated infinity pool followed by 3 nights at the Belvedere Hotel.

The Pegasus Suites and Spa.

The service at the Pegasus was faultless. A vast array of delectable dishes to chose from with breakfast served on our own private balcony. Every morning we would awaken to a perfectly set table with an American champagne breakfast which consisted of a vast array of sweet and savoury options (I have rather a sweet tooth hence the abundance of biscuits and sweet treats you can see in the photo above!) and would sit, sip and munch our way through the lot whilst enjoying the wonderful sea view and refreshing breeze.

After we finished our breakfast all we needed to do was walk a few steps down to our sun loungers to our private infinity pool. There is also a communal pool but we never ventured far from our suite during the day, room service was fantastic and available until late so we parked ourselves on our sun loungers and basked in the gorgeous May sunshine (I highly recommend visiting in May as it's quieter and not uncomfortably hot) and chatted, dozed, laughed, listened to music and read.

Isn't that just the most idyllic, breathtaking view?

The Pegasus Suite and Spa is definitely a relaxation destination, there is none of the resort-style-entertainment (no karaoke, magicians or group conga lines to be found here!) and the majority of the other guests were couples, most being newlyweds or wedding parties - my friend and I definitely received more than one quizzical glance as you could see people trying to work out whether we were a couple or not!

The Angel Infinity Pool Suite was the height of comfort and style, to access the private pool one needn't even step outside the door due to the spiraling staircase located within the bedroom which leads directly down to access the pool. The alcove is tucked away - perfect for couples or two mates trying to have a bit of a break from the sun and read their books in the shade - either way I pretty much thought the room was the coolest thing ever which explains my cheesy double thumbs up in the snaps below!

(Dress: ASOS. Kimono: Dorothy Perkins)

(Dress: H&M. Shoes: Accesorize. Necklace and Bracelet: Accessorize)

I didn't have my DSLR with me so here are a few photos from the website which show just how gorgeous the room was, right down to the venetian themed en-suite bathroom complete with rain shower (side note, the acoustics of the bathroom means it's the perfect place to belt out all of the songs you know from Glee after a one or four glasses of prosecco ...apologies to any guests who stayed whilst I was there and were subjected to that!)

The “Under the Stars” Restaurant is an open-air restaurant built into the cliff side overlooking the caldera. The Pegasus prides itself on offering only the finest cuisine and it's safe to say that I sampled almost everything on the menu. The photo below is when we ordered pasta, grilled halloumi AND CHIPS to be washed down with vast quantities of wine because everyone knows calories don't count on holiday. D'uh.

The hotel can also arrange private dinners for you on your balcony complete with candles and champagne (top tip fellas - perfect proposal spot!)

Santorini

(Hat: ASOS, Kimono: Dorothy Perkins. Vest: H&M. Shorts: New Look. Flip Flops: Havianas)

The views and especially the sunsets are spectacular, Santorini is often described as the greatest open-air cinema in the world and I can see why. We often wandered to the view points to take in the scenery; sky, sea and pool merged in a haze of beautiful blue.

We wandered down the hilly roads through the white marble streets into the main town on two evenings and perused the numerous high-end shops interspersed with local tourist ones and popped our heads into a few of the bars which were small but seemed busy and buzzing. Locals believe the island is the site of the lost city of Atlantis, whilst that may be a myth, the fact is that Santorini is definitely not a party holiday - Ibiza it ain't!

As the amenities were so fabulous we spent most of our time in our hotels but we did take a sailing trip from the old port of Fira to visit the volcano, hot springs and mud baths. The town is about a 10 minute walk and for the sailing trip we simply arranged it at The Pegasus Hotel reception desk. I didn't notice any magical 'healing powers' that legend claims the hot springs have, but covering myself head to toe in mud certainly made for an interesting experience!

The water is crystal clear and calm so you don't need to be a strong swimmer to enjoy the day but you can always stay on the boat and sunbathe and enjoy the views as my friend decided to do. Food and drink is included and it's a good chance to interact with other people as about 12 of us in total were on the tour. It was thanks to their encouragement that I plucked up the courage to leap off the boat which was terrifying and hair-ruining - but totally worth it (the photographic proof is at the end of the post).

The Belvedere

The Belvedere offered yet more simply stunning views of Santorini but had a very different vibe to Pegasus. The Belvedere managed to blur the line between being both luxury and a cool boutique hotel, whilst retaining that sense of exclusivity. We stayed in the superior room which was perfectly sized for two gals who had both packed far, far too many clothes for one week and was spotless, modern and extremely comfortable. No private pools or secret staircases this time, but it didn't matter because the pool area is the highlight of this gorgeous hotel.

Ridiculously comfortable sunbeds, music playing at just the right level, a panoramic view of the sea, and surrounding islands and a poolside bar whipping up and serving mouth-watering cocktails this is where we plonked ourselves and stayed put from morning until sunset each day before retiring to our rooms to get ready for dinner.

For the quintessential Greek isle experience, look no further than Santorini. If you're looking for R&R with dreamy views, sun-soaked days, chilled evenings, luxury resorts and fantastic food and drink then this really is your ideal destination. More suited to couples this is an absolute bucket-list destination and with a 4-hour travel time it's possible to spend a few days there and it still be worthwhile. With a wide range of accommodation options you can visit on a tighter budget and check in to one of the many charming small hotels or go all out and book yourself in to a luxury suite.

Jennifer Rosellen x

Foray into Fashion | What I Wore Today | Closet via ASOS dress

2014-11-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

Closet Tie Back Dress with Pockets in Jewel Print - Via ASOS - £45

Two-Tone Sandals - Dorothy Perkins (last season)

Skincare Series | The 111Skin Micro Pen Facial at Neville Hair and Beauty

2014-10-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVED my first facial at Neville Hair and Beauty (the venus freeze facial) by the lovely Clare-Marie Peters, so when I was informed Clare had partnered exclusively with 111skin (an amazing brand I shall be reviewing soon-the crazy-looking mask I am wearing in the photo is the 111 Bio Cellulose Facial Treatment Mask used as part of the treatment and is the best face at-home-face-mask I have EVER tried - hands down) and created the 111Skin Micro Pen (similar to dermaroller but painless!!) Facial I just knew I had to try it!The 111Skin Micro Pen Facial incorporates two technologies: Radio Frequency and The Micro Pen, combined with 111Skin Products: Y Theorem Serum, Bio Cellulose Mask and the infamous Celestial Black Diamond Cream (yes that one that costs £599...)....

As I am such a huge fan of the Venus FreezeFacial ,Clare decided to use the Venus Freeze RF as part of my treatment. The Radio Frequency (RF) raises the temperature of the skin, causing controlled thermal damage and thereby stimulating the skin to repair itself, producing new collagen and elastin leaving skin glowing, plumped and tightened - and it's super relaxing.

The micro pen creates numerous ultra-fine puncture wounds over the treatment area which stimulates the body’s natural healing process, prompting the natural release of the skin’s collagen and elastin for amazing anti-aging benefits. The micropen glides over the skin whilst vibrating so fast it reduces any discomfort (-it doesn't hurt in the slightest - yay!) and it makes the skin very open to absorbing products. This type of skin needling collagen induction therapy can be used for skin tightening, lifting and rejuvenation, acne scars and wound healing, improvement in wrinkles and fine line, pigmentation, stretch marks and minimising pore size

The two technologies compliment each other as the RF works on the tissues directly under the skin to plump and tighten, and the micr pen targets the superficial layers for a resurfacing affect, refining pore size deeply cleansing the skin.

After Clare finished using the RF and the MicroPen, she applied the 111 Skin Y Theorem which significantly boosts collagen production, supports cell regeneration, improves the elasticity of the skin and contains aminocaproic acid which heals, calms and soothes skin, followed by the 111skin bespoke bio cellular mask which is the most refreshing, gorgeous, comforting, soothing sensation ever as it instantly locks moisture into your skin and enables a deeper penetration of three key ingredients Arbutin to brighten, Silk Amino Acids to condition and Centella Asiatica to stimulate collagen production. The face mask is removed and a layer of the 111skin Black Diamond cream (yes it costs £599 per pot - I KID YOU NOT) is applied, which utilizes an innovative delivery system of rare diamond particles believed to have formed in space (for real - mad!). Black diamond particles are microspheres that penetrate the deeper dermal layer of the skin in order to transport three essential youth restoring ingredients: patent- pending NAC Y2 formula, Collagen type I and III and Hyaluronic acid.

Unsurprisingly, given this amazing combination, my skin felt absolutely gorgeous after this facial, it felt hydrated, smooth and balanced and my makeup applied like an absolute dream for the next couple of weeks. I do love a good old 'pamper' massage now and then, but usually, I like facials that 'work' - where you go in and you SEE and FEEL an immediate difference and one that lasts - and this is exactly that, it's a facial that truly works. It uses high-tech, innovative products and is guaranteed to make a difference to your skin. Plus I'm so pleased there is a tool out there offering similar results to the dermaroller (the at-home dermaroller I love and can handle but having it professionally done really, really tested my pain threshfold) but PAINLESS- hallejuah thank god for the invention of the dermapen and YAY for the 111Skin Micro Pen Facial(*) at Neville Hair andBeauty!

Facials at Neville Hair and Beauty start from £100

The Good Life Eatery | Cold Pressed Juices, Healthy Eats and Gluten-Free Treats

2014-08-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

The Good Life Eatery has already received rave reviews from certified fashionistas Calgary Avansino (of Vogue) and Victoria Barker Harber (of Made In Chelsea) so I knew it would be well worth a visit. Embarking upon a healthier lifestyle does not mean that I wish to deprive myself of anything but am on the hunt for nutritious - yet still delicious - alternatives, and The Good Life Eatery provides them in abundance...

The first dish I opted for was the Avocado Chilli Toast - toasted granary bread with sliced avocado and chilli. Bursting with flavour and the most amazing combination of textures, the softness of the avocado and the crunchiness of the toast was just divine.

The second dish I opted for was the Yoghurt and Spinach dip with seeded spelt crispbread. I detest spinach in most forms but this dip is a heavenly creation and so utterly more-ish that I'm rather glad I didn't have to share as it was just that good! This is a fabulous alternative to 'chips and dip' - but infinitely healthier.

The Good Life Eatery also makes fresh drinks and juices on site, and the sign that caught my eye was the 'Choc Norris' consisting of: almond milk, banana, raw cacao, hemp protein, maca powder and raw cashew cacao nibs. Now, I am not completely clued up on healthy ingredients but I knew straight away that this would fit in perfectly with my protein requirements (exercising more!) and it would taste like chocolate - so a double win! To make it a triple win I happened to be meeting with a nutritionist after lunch and she took a look at the ingredients and gave it her seal of approval. (Quadruple win - IT WAS SO GOOD. SO CHOCOLATEY!!!)

When I spotted the 'Choc Norris' sign (what a name by the way - props to the thinker-upper of that one) it was actually sold out (and at this point I hadn't even mentioned anything about being a Blogger or even that I was going to tweet them etc) and I asked if they were really popular and usually sold out and I'd have to come in one morning to try get one - and they offered to make me a fresh one there and then! WHAT amazing service - they really went that extra mile for me and I thoroughly appreciated it, as did my stomach.

I got a bit carried away with all of the wonders on offer so also picked up a protein bar (which I've literally just polished off after completing a 45 minute bootcamp) which I thoroughly enjoyed and these vegetable crisps which I have yet to try - I shall report back!

The Good Life Eatery is becoming famous for it's cold pressed juices as they are, by far and away, the healthiest kind of juice drink on the market. Cold pressed juices are made by using a hydrallic juicer (unlike most juices you find, which use heat inducing spinning blades) which completely extracts the natural vegetable and fruit juices unleashing the phytonutrients, vitamins, trace minerals, enzymes, and other vital elements from the organic ingredients.

If you don't live near London (or are just a bit lazy) then you can also have a look at Plenish Cleanse which offers a cold pressed juices delivery service.

On the left you can see Victoria opted for the watermelon rind, apple and basil cold pressed juice and on the right Calgary went for the Kale, quinoa, lentils and sweet potato salad (come on, can you GET much healthier than that!?)

The Good Life Eatery offers a variety of healthier-versions of naughty food - YES THAT IS A GLUTEN FREE RED VELVET CUPCAKE PEOPLE - their treats are mostly raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy free etc etc - you name it and they do it.

Well, obviously I couldn't say no to free cake.

If you're looking to change your eating but not deprive yourself of anything then this is a fantastic restaurant to visit. You leave feeling satisfied, full and happy that what you've eaten was a) delicious and b) good for you. London really needs to up it's game and have more places like this that show that healthy food can taste good. I am delighted to have discovered The Good Life Eatery and as it's about a five minute walk away from my work I shall undoubtedly be sampling more of the menu. It is absolutely worth a visit, and if you wont my word for it, then take Calgary and Victoria's!

The Good Life Eatery is on 59, Sloane Avenue and is open on weekdays from 7.30am - 8.00pm, Saturday 8.00am-7.30pm and Sunday 9.00am-6.30pm.

Highly recommended.

JENNIFERROSELLEN x

The three musketeers: My must-have skincare gadgets | Clarisonic Mia, Dermaroller and Lustre Pure Light Classic

2013-12-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

When it comes to skincare I don't mess about. I'm constantly on the hunt for skincare products that actually work and am absolutely obsessed with facials. Having acne as a teenager has meant I've had to be meticulous about my routine for the past ten years - no sleeping in makeup or a quick swipe with a face wipe for me! For me, skincare is far more important than makeup, after all, it is far easier to achieve great makeup when you have a great base to work with. Your skin is with you for the entirety of your life so in my opinion it deserves a serious amount of attention, time and TLC- you can plaster on as much foundation as you like but ultimately it's your skin that dictates how your makeup looks. On my quest for 'flawless' skin (*I realise this is not an actual achievable goal but I wish to get as damn near as I can and that science will let me!) I have come across a multitude of products that work and many more that are beyond useless. Nothing beats botox for wrinkle-fighting - nothing - and anything that claims to is lying. Lots of lotions and potions available are genuinely brilliant (but again, I'm talking high-tech high-end skincare - retinol, aha's, glycolic and hylauronic acids etc etc - I will do an updated skincare routine soon) but along my quest I have found three gadgets which really do exactly what they say on the tin and have made a genuine, noticeable improvement to my skin....

(L-R)

- Medik8 Titanium Dermaroller (0.3mm)

- Clarisonic Mia

- Lustre Pure Light Classic

- Medik8 Titanium Dermaroller (0.3mm) Yes, those are tiny litles spikes and yes, there are lots and lots of them and YES IT HURTS.

I had a dermaroller treatment with a clinician about six months ago (medical use dermaroller needles are sized between 0.5mm and 3.0mm and can only be used by an experienced clinician as the needles obviously go a lot deeper into the skin, home-use dermaroller needles - such as mine pictured above - are between 0.2mm and 0.3mm) and it was, by far, the most painful beauty treatment I have ever experienced (brazilian waxing, eyebrow tatooing and botox included), so much so that I've been put off going back as it was genuinely that painful. But, my friends, BUT - the results were amazing.

The way that dermaroller/skin needling works is, as you roll the roller over your skin, numerous, ultra-fine micro-needles designed to penetrate through the epidermis create microscopic punctures on the skin’s surface. By opening the skin in this way you not only dramatically increase the penetration of any topical product, increasing its efficacy, but you also create miniature perforations that stimulate the skin’s healing mechanisms. Skin Needling allows for controlled induction of the skin’s self repair mechanism by creating micro-“injuries” in the skin which trigger new collagen synthesis, yet does not pose the risk of permanent scarring.

The dermaroller treatment I had in the spa left my skin looking bright red and feeling sore and tight for about 2 days but for weeks afterwards was smoother, plumper brighter and far less oily. After my original treatment I had two beauty therapist friends absolutely RAVE to me about their at-home dermarollers (one was using it for her wedding and the other just loved 'going to town with it because the results are so damn good!') so I decided I would definitely invest in the at-home dermaroller in an attempt to increase collagen production and keep my skin looking plump and reduce my fine lines, reduce the oiliness of my skin and enhance the penetration of active ingredients from my skincare and serums as it's meant to lead to massive increase in their efficacy.

I find this really painful to use. It's unpleasant but not unbearable - I have to psych myself up to do it and I have to do it holding my breath, gritting my teeth and scrunching my eyes firmly shut. You roll the roller across each section of your about 10 times until all of your face has been needled - there should be no 'white bits' left on your face - you should look pink/flushed all over by the time you are finished. Besides looking flushed your skin will feel hot and tight (similar to after a day at the beach) and sometimes there will be the occasional drop of blood from the needles. I apply my skincare immediately after using the dermaroller and it always stings slightly, which for me makes me feel like the skincare is really penetrating into my skin. My skin always looks better the day after using this and definitely makes my nose less oily throughout the next day.

My absolute favourite, almost miraculous benefit that I have found from this is that it, genuinely, extends the life of my botox/temporarily gives you a botox effect. If I use this on my forehead for the following few days I will see a marked difference in my expression lines which never fails to astound me. I am really, really impressed with this product and as a stand-alone product for increasing skin smoothness and plumpness and decreasing oiliness and fine lines it's great PLUS it just makes everything else that you use with regards to skincare work better. Sadly I have not found it has made my few acne scars disappear (I have yet to find anything to do that) but it has improved my skin overall. The dermaroller does nothing for active acne/blemishes and it is actually advised not to use it if you have acne or a breakout as it could spread the bacteria.

RRP is between £40-50 pounds (plus you need to buy sterilising solution to be used after each time you use it). You can buy online but I purchased mine from Jill Zander and would recommend if possible, purchasing from a spa/salon to ensure it is a genuine product. I am currently using this about 1-2 times per week and am aiming to increase this to between 3-5 times a week. You need to slowly build up your skins tolerance to this gadget, much like any form of stronger skincare like retinol.

- Lustre Pure Light Classic

I was kindly sent this a good few months ago to trial to help me attempt to win the battle with a confusing spate of pesky chin breakouts. There is a lot of talk in the beauty world with regards to harnessing the power of light to treat various skin conditions and before using this I had often received red light therapy after various facials, so I knew that light therapy was a great way to help the skin. The Lustre Pure Light Classic harnesses the safe, natural blue part of the visible light spectrum and uses clinically proven technology to eliminate spot-causing bacteria, while also being gentle on skin.

I wont get too much into the sciencey-bit (you can read more here) but in a nutshell,the bacteria that cause acne produce a chemical called porphyrin. When blue light is applied to this porphyrin it becomes excited or 'active', this active porphyrin then attaches to the spot causing bacteria and begins to destroy it.

The device is rechargable and portable so you can take it anywhere with you and you can wear it as you go about your normal evening or weekend routine (might look a BIT strange wearing it in the office or on the tube...!) - you don't notice the blue light ones the pads are attached to your skin. You simply attach the three pads which onto the skin using adhesive strips and leave to work for an hour. I used this on my nose and placed the other two either side of my chin. You need to place the pads in roughly the same place every time to see an improvement in that area and you need to wear it daily for 60 minutes for 12 weeks to see the benefits. This might be a bit of a pain for some people so there is a new, improved device called the Lustre Pro which you only need to wear for 20 minutes a day! My only issue with this is that for acne sufferers with acne all over the face perhaps there should be more pads - so as to cover the entire face.

As I mentioned above, the dermaroller is fantastic for overall skin improvement but is not to be used when suffering from breakouts and does nothing to improve acne (it can even worsen it!). Since using this device I have seen a significant decrease in the blemishes appearing around my chin and jaw area - at this moment in time, I have been blemish free for two months! This device has no side effects - no pain, no redness, no dryness or flakiness commonly associated with other acne treatments.

Lustre Pure Light classic works best when be used in conjunction with other treatments and medications and can speed up the results of any acne programme. Thankfully, now I am not suffering from blemishes (touch wood for me please) but my brother does suffer from active acne and has actually just started taking Roaccutane - and I will now be lending this to him to see if he can benefit from it. I will be following his progress and blogging that at the end of the year.

The Lustre Pro is exclusively available through skincare specialists and clinics. The Lustre Pure Light Classic is available online for £249*.

- Clarisonic Mia

I know I'm a bit late to the party on this one as every blogger under the sun seems to have one of these babies. I kept spying them whilst out shopping and thinking to myself 'Oh I MUST get one of these Clarisonics that everyone is raving about' and on one such shopping trip, to which I had dragged my boyfriend (kicking and screaming) along to, I spotted one again and explained to Iain in great detail to him how this was the new 'Blog wonder product'. After listening to my epic spiel he declared it the 'face toothbrush' and henceforth referred to it as the 'face toothbrush' (which I am now doing too!). Happily though, on our two year anniversary in May said 'face toothbrush' had been purchased by him (boyfriend brownie points or what) and thus began my love affair with the Clarisonic Mia.

Except, that's a bit of a lie. I took it out of the box and threw away the box and instructions because THAT'S THE KIND OF BADASS I AM, and then because I couldn't immediately work out how to charge it and didn't have the instrutions I ended up giving up and forgetting about it until July - oops! When I finally figured it out how to charge it (I youtubed it - turns out on the front it has a little circle and the charger attached to that circle on the front like a magnet- who would have guessed that!?) and left it overnight I began using it every night and have.not.looked.back.since.movements per second to clean, soften and smooth skin.

The Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth skin. In just 60 seconds, the action removes more makeup and more dirt and sebum than cleansing with your hands alone. Removing more dirt and sebum from your pores also helps prepare for a better skin care. The Clarisonic Mia:

- Removes more makeup than manual cleansing

- Helps to prepare the skin for your usual skin care regime

- Leaves skin feeling smoother and healthier

- Tightens the appearance of visible pores

- Helps remove sebum

- Helps to improve the appearance of skin tone and texture

I really do love it. I have always double cleansed anyway with a makeup removing milk followed by a balm/face wash followed by a toner and was always shocked to see how much makeup still remained on my face after double washing, as shown by the orange-ness of the cotton wall after applying my toner. Since using this you can see and feel that the skin is thoroughly, 100% clean (no icky orange residue on my cotton wool after applying my toner) and I adore how smooth, refreshed and clean it leaves my skin feeling and also just knowing that I have removed every single trace of makeup and grime from my face. My face is never tight, sore or red after using this so it is a gentle and effective method of cleansing.

I read some reviews that warned of a 'purging' stage, where any under the skin spots were bought to the surface by the deep cleaning of the clarisonic, but I can happily report that no such thing happened to me. I use this on the higher setting at night time and the lower setting in the morning.

The Clarisonic Mia has been a great daily addition to my skincare routine and I don't feel like my face is properly clean unless I use this. I believe this has had a dramatic effect on my reduction in breakouts (in conjunction with the lustre pure light classic) as my skin is thoroughly clean, and it definitely leaves my skin softer and smoother. It has not had a visible effect on my pores (nothing ever has!) but I can notice a difference with regards to sebum/oiliness (not as drastic as with the dermaroller, but a noticeable improvement). Be sure to clean it after each use (as, if you wear a lot of bronzer like me the bristles will be bright orange after each use!) and remember you'll need to charge it every 2 weeks or so.

The Clarisonic Mia costs £99 and is available online. (*- not a PR sample - but it was a gift!)

Jennifer Rosellen

‘Nothing is impossible’ | Uhmmm.... Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.

This glass of liquid they have given me is half empty. It's Pepsi. I asked for Diet Coke and it's FUCKING. PEPSI. (if you know, you know). It's flat. It's WARM! It's warm, it's flat and it's Pepsi. There's a lipstick stain on the glass. And, of course, there is a dead fly floating in it.

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The three musketeers: My must-have skincare gadgets | Clarisonic Mia, Dermaroller and Lustre Pure Light Classic

This glass of liquid they have given me is half empty.

It's Pepsi.

I asked for Diet Coke and it's FUCKING. PEPSI. (if you know, you know).

It's flat.

It's WARM!

It's warm, it's flat and it's Pepsi.

There's a lipstick stain on the glass.

And, of course, there is a dead fly floating in it.