Tea

 The lovely people from Pure Fresh Tea sent me some tea to try. So this post is a little different for me but when I started Jumpers & Jam I wanted to write about everything that interested me, not just make up and clothes. So today's post is the first of the 'Jam' (food-and-drink-related-posts). The first thing I thought when I opened the package was "oh cute little boxes!".. I am a sucker for packaging.

 What Pure Fresh Tea say:

"This collection consists of the highest quality organic tea, presented in biodegradeable organza bags, individually hand-wrapped in a distinctive white box to retain freshness. The subtle flavours in each blend are derived from organic fruit pieces, flowers and herbs (where used)."


My verdict:

This is some seriously fancy tea. After the initial impression that the boxes looked great, I thought that maybe it was quite wasteful- packaging-wise. But after checking their website you can order from the Black Line which doesn't include the little boxes, or you can order refills. I think that the White Line tea would make a great gift for a tea lover, or you could order a selection for times when you have guests over. 

So on to the important bit..the flavour! I really enjoyed sampling these teas, they are gorgeous flavours and taste quite luxurious indeed. They are packed with flavour, with one bag being enough for a nice pot of tea. The samples couldn't have come at a better time as I'm cutting out milk from my diet, and I really enjoyed drinking herbal teas. My favourite was the Natural mint which was really refreshing and I absolutely love the taste of peppermint. The other two (Golden Chamomile and Black Lavender) were lovely relaxing blends which I've appreciated for my Masters' stress!

I had to take a picture of the tea itself.. I was really impressed that you can really see the fruit pieces/flowers/herbs in each bag depending on the blend (am I easily impressed?)...

I really want to try more of their blends... the Rosehip one sounds amazing!

Pure Fresh Tea can be purchased online here

Help

So this is a bit of a different post for me. I'm a Masters Psychology student and I'm carrying out a study on shared living experiences. In order to pass my dissertation I need a LOT of data and therefore a lot of participants, which I'm finding really difficult (crap time of year with people doing exams, which I totally understand). 

This is where you come in. If you're reading this and you live in a flat with other people and have a little bit of spare time I would REALLY appreciate your help. The questionnaire is really simple and online so you can do it whenever you want. When you complete the short follow-up you will be entered into a prize draw with some AWESOME prizes and vouchers.

 If you're interested please read the info below: 

                                                                                               

Do you live with flatmates?

I’m looking for individuals to take part in a study of shared living experiences. It will only take 30 minutes of your time altogether and involve an online questionnaire and brief follow-up. You will also need to nominate someone you live with to fill out a very short online questionnaire.

If you take part in this study you will be entered into a prize draw with fantastic prizes.

Your help would be very much appreciated.

Sarah McFarline

sarah.mc-farline@strath.ac.uk

Go to: http://tinyurl.com/cc3fvc5 to complete questionnaire.

Thank you 

"Oh but it was on offer"

 Here's a story as old as time itself...

So the other day I was 'popping' into Boots to pick up a hair colour. Boots is kind of my Mecca. If I've had a shit day Boots is like therapy for me (god I sound insane). ANYWAY.... as I entered Boots I reminded myself that I am on a STRICT BUDGET, I was only there to grab a colour and leave. Oh but I'll have a little browse... just a little look. I wandered over to the L'oreal counter where the new Rouge Caresse lipsticks are. There it was. A bright red sign "2 for £14"... shit. Before I know it I'm grabbing the lipstick and a mascara and heading over to the till.

L'oreal Rouge Caresse in 03 Lovely Rose, normally £7.99 from Boots

 I went for a pretty safe option, convincing myself that it was probably the one I'd get most use of. It is a really nice pink. I like to think it's a bit 60's, I had an image of Betty Draper in my head. I'm sure she wore a pink like this in one episode (tried 'Googling' it but I couldn't find it). Alas, a make-up-look mirage. The texture is really nice and exactly what I wanted for Spring. It also has a nice subtle scent that oddly reminds me of something from my childhood. If I pluck up the courage to do a 'face of the day' I'll feature this.

So, whats the moral of the story? Well... I can't keep to a budget. I excitedly told my boyfriend about my purchases, defending myself- "it was on offer!".. Maybe that's the moral, I am a SAP when it comes to offers. They've got me!

Oh and I totally want this one next...

I thought it was 'cheeky magenta' but now Google has confused me again... is it?


Oh and I bought a mascara, but I haven't opened it yet since I'm using a Clinique one up at the minute. Decided to try the Telescopic one after Anna's review here.


What do you guys think of these products? Have you tried the Rouge Caresse lipsticks yet? Let me know in the comments below!

Sarah xoxo

skin

 I've become a bit skincare obsessed recently. I want to look after my skin and hopefully it'll clear up a bit (getting spots at 23 is a bit annoying). So here are a few things I am trying this month.

Vichy Normaderm Hydrating Care: These Normaderm products are new from Vichy, which is a company I've never tried before. It is suitable for oily, imperfection-prone skin- which sounds like me (my skin isn't really oily but definitely prone to imperfections). It promises to transform 6 conditions- blemishes, pores, shine, oily skin, marks and uneven complexion. The ingredients include LHA, Salicylic acid and Glycolic acid to reduce the appearance of imperfections. I'm really excited about this moisturiser and I'm really intrigued by the ingredients. If they fade the marks left behind by spots and help prevent them I will be really impressed.

One pump of product is enough for the entire face and neck. The consistency is really nice and it sinks into the skin quickly and provides a great base for make-up. When I purchased this in boots the purifying gel wash came free so I will be using them together. £12 for 50ml from Boots.


Green Tea: I'm trying to drink more green tea, which contains antioxidants and it is claimed to help with many things like headaches and depression. There are many health claims, including great skin so I'm hoping it will help with mine.

Water: This is an obvious one but I'm trying to drink my 2 litres-a-day! Also, my friend has amazing skin and when I asked her what her secret was she said that she always makes sure she splashes her face with cold water when she gets out of the shower/washing her face. No fancy products just cold water and any moisturiser she has to hand. So I'm trying that this month too and I must say it feels invigorating and it brightens my skin up!

What are your skincare secrets? Have you found anything that you swear by? I'd love to read your suggestions in the comments below :)

lipstick collection

 I was trying to think of things I wanted to blog about and thought to myself, "oh I've a handful of lipsticks, that might be good". A HANDFUL? I was shocked to find 13, not including 'Cherries in the Snow' which I have sadly lost. I showed my boyfriend and he simply remarked, "mental". Do I need 13 lipsticks? Probably not, especially since I'm more of a balm person day-to-day *hangs head in shame*. In my defense, some of these were freebies or unwanted by my mum.

L-R: Revlon Black Cherry, Revlon Wine Not, Revlon In The Red, L'oreal 106, Clinique Red-y to Wear, Revlon Fabulous Fig, Clinique Rosette

L-R: Boots 17 Belle, Topshop Show Off, Too-Faced Free Love, Boots 17 Beehive, Natural Collection Lotus, Natural Collection Apple Blossom

 The nudes/pinks:

L-R: Boots 17 Belle, Topshop Show Off, Too-Faced Free Love, Boots 17 Beehive, Natural Collection Lotus and Apple Blossom

Boots 17 'Belle': This is in their 'mirror shine' formula which I love. It looks darker in the bullet but is very sheer and glossy when applied, with that "your lips but better" result. Great everyday shade, which I think would suit a lot of skin tones and feels moisturising.

Topshop 'Show Off': I haven't seen this get as much attention as some other shades and I'll admit I haven't worn it much. The swatch above looks really bright but I still have the swatches on my arm and after a few hours it fades into a really pretty, wearable pink. So if you are afraid of the swatch I think dabbed-on would be really pretty and wearable. Long-lasting and great quality for Topshop.

Too-Faced 'Free Love': I got this free with a purchase ages ago. I really like this lipstick, it has a frosty formula which might not be to everyone's taste but i think it looks subtle on and is very moisturising.

Boots 17 'Beehive': Won't go into too much detail on this one since there are loads of reviews out there. It's shiny, moisturising, perfect balance between pink and peach, everyday favourite.

Natural Collection 'Lotus': This is in the 'sheer natural' formula. It is one of the first lipsticks I bought when I started getting into make-up. It is more matte than the 17 lipsticks and the swatch has survived on my arm (the 17's have almost disappeared but faded well). It is a nude, peach shade with tiny shimmer. Great quality for the price.

Natural Collection 'Apple Blossom':  This is in their 'moisture shine' formula and it does feel moisturising on the lips but not as glossy as the 17 lipsticks.

The reds:

L-R: Revlon Black Cherry, Revlon Wine Not, Revlon In the Red, L'oreal 106, Clinique Red-y to Wear, Revlon Fabulous Fig, Clinique Rosette

Revlon 'Black Cherry': This is one of their Super Lustrous lipsticks so it has a slightly more shiny/moisturing finish. Looks intimidating in the bullet but you can wear it really sheer as a stain or applied straight on for a gorgeous dark plum lip (perfect in winter). Similar to 'Wine Not' but with more plum and a glossier finish.

Revlon 'Wine Not': This is from their matte range, which means that it is very long-lasting. Similar to Black Cherry but in the matte formula.

Revlon 'In the Red': This is a matte brick red. Very long lasting and not drying for a matte. Similar to 'Fabulous Fig' but with more red.

L'oreal 'Vrai Rouge 106': This is an old lipstick my mum gave me, from their Rouge Sublime range which I don't think you can get anymore. To me it is a 'true red lipstick' and it has a really nice moisturising texture. It is also long-lasting and the one I grab if I'm sporting red lips on a night out.

Clinique 'Red-y to Wear': God I love a make-up pun and it turns out this lipstick is pretty damn good too. Again, its what I'd call a true red lipstick. Gorgeous shade of red, with a slight hint of pink. I think it is more of a blue-toned red which is more flattering for your teeth (supposed to make your teeth appear whiter).

Revlon 'Fabulous Fig':  This is another matte that looks great dabbed on. It is a dark brick red/brown colour that is very long-lasting and not too drying.

Clinique 'Rosette': This is a dark rose colour with gold shimmer. I don't think I've actually worn this lipstick except to try it (it was free with something I think ages ago). However, looking at it now I think I'll have to try to wear it more! Looks a lot nicer in the swatch than the bullet and it has worn well on my arm.

 Prep:

Sometimes I wear a lip primer like the one above to prep my lips for lipstick. I'm not sure if they are really necessary, like eye-lid primers they help with the longevity of the product. In general you should make sure your lips are moisturised with a balm and free from dry bits/chapped skin before applying lipstick. A lip-liner will also help keep your lipstick in place and prevent it from feathering.

Hair

My hair is quite dry since I have to straighten it all the time (I have thick, wavy hair naturally), so I like to treat it with products that nourish it.

Redken Moist Ends leave-in treatment: I absolutely love this stuff, so-much-so that I fell out with my boyfriend a little bit when I found out he'd been slathering it on his curls everyday. It smells amazing and really leaves my hair (and his) soft, shiny and healthy.

John Frieda Full Repair Perfect Ends Deep Infusion Serum (wow what a mouthful!): I was given this at the Internal Women's Day Blogger event and I've been trying it out since. It's very watery which I wasn't expecting but it's very easy to run through my hair after a shower. It smells really good (which shouldn't be important but totally is) and helps with the dryness. 
























Superdrug Coconut oil: This is super cheap and I use it when my hair has really had it. It is solid and melts when you rub your hands together. So I put it on and cover my head in a towel, leave it for as long as I can, then wash it out with shampoo.

Osmo Berber Oil: I also received this at the International Women's event. It smells AMAZING- like Haribo with a bit of a Christmas scent too. I like to put this on when I've finished straightening my hair to get rid of frizz and dryness. It contains Argan oil which is rich in vitamin E to nourish dry and damaged ends. I would definitely purchase this when this bottle runs out (which will be ages!).

What are your favourite haircare products? I'd love to read your suggestions in the comments :)

Ireland

Love these horseshoes at the cottage

 Recently I've been feeling a bit 'meh' and stressed out. I know doing this masters is important but it's been hard for me doing assignments and planning another dissertation all over again after finishing a four year undergrad... ANYWAY enough about that! I decided to go home for a few days, see my parents and relax. I really tried to avoid emails and TV which wasn't hard since the weather was really amazing.

New jumper- George at ASDA

 We went to my parents cottage in Donegal after I landed and I love it there. I managed to squeeze in loads and finally seemed to unwind after reading in the bath.

Beach near the cottage

 I also got to catch up with my best friend from home, which always leads to us reminiscing about the old days. We found an old 2003 Sum41 calendar (we were obsessed) which I had marked with little symbols. There was a sad face when I got dumped on April Fool's day (yeah what an asshole, plus he was like 4 foot tall!), and other random embarrassing things. Let's just say of the whole 12 guys I've kissed, I think 2003 was THE YEAR. We also went to the Grange, which was a nauseating blast from the past. Let me just explain this for a second. OK so the Grange was basically the place you went when you were 15 to pre-drink before Molly's (which is a whole other story). We also spent all damn day there on Saturdays, just aimlessly walking around hoping to see some boys. So when we went there the other day we couldn't stop laughing because it was all exactly the same and all the cringey memories came flooding back.

Gortin Glens

 Of course you couldn't have a trip to Omagh without a hike up Gortin Glens (if you haven't guessed it already there isn't a lot to do there) and Brunch ice-cream. I hope you guys liked this kind of post- I hope it wasn't too boring! For more information on the cottage click here.

The Cottage