Yes I bought another Zara bag . . .

I have a weakness for Zara bags. They are the first thing I search for when I visit Zara online (second is coats) & I'm always left lusting after at least two after a quick page browse. Everything about them is always so spot on - the quality, style, colour, size & price. I'd say they are the best affordable bags on the high street. 

The Mini City bag with zips is the newest addition to my Zara bag family. I ordered it online Wednesday night & it arrived yesterday morning - Zara always has such quick delivery & brilliant customer service. I got it in light pink (I call it dusty pink) & I also spotted it in red & light blue. This little beauty definitely looks more expensive than it's £39.99 price tag.

I thought the light, powdery colour was gorgeous for Spring/Summer but I can see myself using this all year round as it makes a change to my other darker bags. The size is perfect for all my daily essentials comprising of three zip pockets (the small one at the front is an ideal size for a phone), a middle compartment with three different size pockets, & a detachable shoulder strap. 

This beautiful bag will certainly be getting a lot of use over the next few months & already had its first outing today . . . 

FYI my absolute DREAM would be for Zara to do a collaboration (think along the lines of the H&M designer ones) but focus only on bags with the one & only . . . Chanel. Think about it - Chanel + Zara + bags + affordable prices = a very happy me, plus hundreds of others who would appreciate these creations. Seriously it's a collaboration waiting to happen. In my dreams . . . 

Lupita: Awards Season Sweetheart

My favourite from the red carpet this year was definitely Lupita Nyong'o. She didn't put a foot wrong with a rainbow of beautiful dresses and her custom made (!) Prada dress she was to the Oscars on Sunday was perfection. I love how she called the colour 'Nairobi blue'.

Some of Lupita's other red carpet looks . . .

Pinterest: February

A round up of my favourite pins from February:



1. Rebecca Minkoff Jules Cross Body Bag from Shopbop
I've been browsing the Rebecca Minkoff bag section on Shopbop a lot over the past couple of months waiting for the Mini Moto to come back in stock. When I saw this little gem added to the already beautiful bag filled pages I was won over. I'm also lusting after one of the Mason wallets. I think an RM purchase will be made. Watch this space. . . 


2. Kiwi Blueberry Mojito.
I love the original mojitos (my favourite alcoholic beverage) & I'm always keen to try variations on this classic. Strawberry mojitos will forever remind me of Ibiza. I'd never heard of this combination before but it sounds goood. The picture alone is mouthwatering. Roll on summertime!


3. Interior beauty.
Now this is my dream living room. Candles, flowers, pretty lights, neutral colour palette & cushions. LOTS of cushions. It looks so beautiful & cosy. Major home inspiration!


4. More interior beauty.
This bathroom...just wow! That cabinet is stunning, I have a feeling it was once an antique wardrobe. To just have a bathroom big enough for it would be amazing. Again, major home inspiration (for when I have my own house).


5. The Beach Life
This looks perfect. Can I be there right now please? . . .

If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/jessicaroses/

February skincare purchases

I heart skincare. I have for over 10 years & my love is still going strong. So every month when it comes to pay day I usually have a little list of items just waiting to be added to my basket. These range from the basics (cotton face pads, face wipes etc),  daily essentials (new moisturiser, cleanser, basically repurchases etc) and any new item I've had my eye on, researched and decided I want to give a go

On my February re-purchase list - Bioderma Hydrabio and the Origins Ginzing energy-boosting moisturizer. I first saw this bottle of Bioderma on Glamour magazine's Beauty Director Alessandra Steinherr's instagram, which she claimed was better than the famous red topped one. I completely agree! After reading the hype around the original Biroderma I purchased a bottle from Escentual but wasn't overwhelmed by it. I found the cleansing water made my skin feel quite uncomfortable immediately after use and it didn't seem ideal for my sometimes sensitive and dry prone skin. However, the blue topped version is very gentle on my face and eye area leaving my skin feeling moisturized, instead of tight, before going ahead with my evening cleanse.

Origins is one of my favourite skincare brands and the Ginzing moisturiser has been my go to day cream since last summer after it launched. It's lightweight with a slightly gel-like texture and is super hydrating and refreshing. This is helped by the fact it feels cooling on the skin and has a gorgeous citrus, fresh scent. Used with the Ginzing eye cream, my skin seems to be loving these radiance boosting treats.

My 'new item' purchase is the Indeed Labs Hydraluron serum which I first read about on Caroline Hiron's blog last year. It's a moisture boosting serum packed with hyaluronic acid which claims to significantly increase skin's hydration levels and ability to retain moisture. Over time it's meant to reduce the amount of topical moisturisers needed to maintain skin hydration (which means you use less of what you put on top of this serum). There is a lot of science behind this product and anything you really need to know about it is on Caroline's blog - she sums it up perfectly. Having only used this serum for a short amount of time (1 week so far) means I can't give a fair opinion on it yet but I have noticed my skin feeling significantly softer after using this post toner and pre-moisturiser in the mornings. Everything seems a lot smoother. Time will tell with this one but so far I'm impressed!

What's next on my 'new item' list? The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum in Oil which promises to replenish and recharge skin with moisture overnight. It sounds right up my street and it's only £12! I'm sold. 

Pinterest: January

I am a huge Pinterest fan. Having the app on my phone makes me browse through boards almost every day! I find it so inspiring and thought I would share my favorite pins from the month of January (This post is a little late I know, I'm still getting in the swing of blogging regularly again!).

If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/jessicaroses/




1. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Flights & hotel are booked to visit this beautiful & intriguing city in June with my friend Sophie. Last year Ibiza, this year we chose a city with a bit of everything. To say I'm excited is an understatement...I literally can't wait! Plus Game of Thrones is filmed here (it's Kings Landing!) which makes it even more appealing! Hurry up June 14th . .



2. It's safe to say that throughout January I was obsessed with Scandal. Obsessed. I got through the first 3 series very quickly and I've literally told everyone I know about it! It's a show that keeps you completely hooked in every episode, the acting is great and Olivia Pope's (Kerry Washington, who is just amazing & my new favourite actress) wardrobe is stunning!! That coat in the above picture . . . wow! Full of soft neutrals, luxurious fabrics and beautiful accessories she really does stand out in the very male dominated political world.



3. Kate from The Small Things Blog - http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/ , does some of the best hair tutorials (she also has a Youtube channel) I have found. This picture is from the Low Chignon tutorial which I have attempted a couple of times but it hasn't worked out exactly how I imagined. I think the secret is in the texture of your hair so next time I'm going to whip out my Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray & see what happens. Practice makes perfect.



4. I love everything about this outfit! Would you just look at that Celine bag!! My favourite has to be the Off Duty sweatshirt and I am now on the look for a similar piece! It adds a very casual/cool edge to an outfit which other than that is rather daytime dressy.



5. Not wanting to blow my own trumpet or anything but I do make very good cinnamon buns. It's all down to a recipe my mum recommended from one of her American cookbooks (the name of which escapes me) . My next baking project is to attempt this giant cinnamon roll cake (the recipe of which is also on my Food pin board). Gawwd it looks so good!!

Dreaming of Elie Saab Couture

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the King of red carpet dressing, Elie Saab and his divine Haute Couture S/S 14 collection. I certainly have, although my moment was more like an hour sat scrolling through pictures of his beautiful collection and daydreaming of what  it must be like to wear one of his creations.

If you haven't done so already then you can watch Elie Saab S/S 14 show here - http://www.eliesaab.com/#/en/home His past shows are definitely worth a look too for their timeless beauty.

Three of my favourites from the S/S 14 Couture show are below:

Who's that girl?

I don't think you could find someone who doesn't like Zooey Deschanel . Men love her. Women love her. She seems as nice in interviews as she does onscreen, especially her character Jess in New Girl. (I am a HUGE New Girl fan. It's definitely filled the Friends shaped hole in my life!)

So, it goes without saying really that my Best Dressed from last nights Emmy Awards was...Zooey! Her frothy, ice blue Reem Acra gown was just perfection. She posted a beautiful photo on Instagram showing her hair and make up look with someone comparing her to 'a modern day Audrey'. I completely agree. It was so very Zooey; a look that was just made for her.

Another photo she posted on Instagram was of her manicure where she'd had little televisions painted onto her nails! I was hoping she was going to show them on E! Live on the Red Carpet's Mani Cam - a little camera inserted into a box where the stars could 'walk' their fingers down a little red carpet! A great new addition to add to E! already brilliant red carpet coverage.

Although New Girl missed out on winning an Emmy my other favourite show Modern Family won Best Comedy for the third year running, a directing and two acting awards. If you have yet to watch it I urge you to! It's brilliant!

Follow me on Instagram at: @jessicarosesutherland

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Style Crush: Jessica Biel

If there's one person whose been pulling out all the stops in the fashion department its Jessica Biel on her Total Recall promotion duties. This look - Giambattista Valli Couture tailored shirt with a feather peplum and lace pencil skirt - has been my favourite! She topped it off with an incredible pair of Christian Louboutin neon pink heels; the best choice against an otherwise all white ensemble. 

Not only does she look amazing & have one beautiful wardrobe, she is engaged to Justin Timberlake. That is one very lucky woman . . . 

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Summer Buys!

Like many others, London 2012 Olympics have completely taken over my life this past week! I am absolutely loving it & have never watched so much sport in my life!! This is a quick post in between watching events on to some of my recent hair and beauty buys . . .

L'Oreal Paris Extraordinary Oil.
When I first saw this advertised in a magazine and heard great reviews I had to buy it! I use L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect shampoo and conditioner and I'm always impressed with the way it leaves my hair, so I had high expectations for this product! I've found its results are very similar to Moroccan Oil (which I adore!) although it has a thinner consistency, meaning you can sometimes pump out a bit too much from the bottle! At £9.99 its a bargain too!

Max Factor Max Effect Mini Nail Polish.
These little pots of nail polish are so cute and come in a huge range of colours! I now have 4, with the most recent purchase being shade 09. Diva Coral. I chose it as my 'festival shade' to wear to Boardmasters and Reading this month! Its very pretty - bold and summery, and makes a nice change from my usual nail colour palette of purples, pinks and greens.

Stylfile S-file from Tom Pellereau.
Created by the 2011 winner of The Apprentice, the S-file is named after its shape and follows the nails natural curve which makes filing quicker and easier. The S-file does exactly what it claims to and I found it much easier to gain my desired nail shape than using a flat file. Although priced at almost £5, its meant to last up to 12 months! There is also an S-buffer and Emergency File (a mini S-file and S-buffer in one) which complete the collection.

Clinique City Block (25SPF)
This daily face protector is one of my favourite ever products! I recently started using it again and will now ALWAYS have it in my make up bag. Its a sheer UVA/UVB formula which can be used as daily sun protection and protect against environmental aggressors. It can be worn on its own and under make up. Personally, its the best primer I have tried and makes my make up extremely long lasting.


real Techniques Stippling Brush.
After reading many positive reviews of real Techniques make up brushes I have finally bought one! I am so impressed with the way my foundation looks after applying it with this stippling brush. I don't like to wear too much foundation so using a brush is the perfect way to apply it for me. Combined with my Clinique City Block it makes my foundation last for most of the day! Now what brush to buy next . . .

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Yes, I have touched glitter in the last 24 hours.

Number One on my wish list right now (along with the perfect white summer dress) are these silver glittery TOMS, as seen on Jessica Alba. 

I wouldn't usually go for glitter during the day, especially where my feet are concerned (I tend to keep this look for nights out) & the natural classic ones are more my typical style. But these have grown on me, they really do look great for day time! I can already think of various outfits I can throw these on with in my wardrobe!

& whats even better, with every pair of TOMS purchased, a pair will be donated to a child in need. 

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Oversized Orange

I'm never one to wear a lot of make up. I like to keep it simple...maybe sometimes too simple. Which is why I've recently been drawn to lip colour. In particular, moisturizing lip colours as my lips have a tendency to get very dry meaning I constantly need a lip balm close to hand!

After recently trying the Revlon lip butters & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks (both of which I love!) I just had to try the much raved about Clinique Chubby Stick moisturizing lip colour balms. Clinique is my go-to make up brand & has been for years so I knew I definitely wouldn't be disappointed.

12. Oversized Orange

There are 16 colours to choose from so it was a hard choice! I was drawn to Oversized Orange as its unlike anything I've ever worn before, is perfect for the summer & will really stand out against any skin tone. The warm orange shade is sheer to begin with but you can build it up by applying with a lip brush or layering on with another shade.

The colour itself is hard to photograph properly on my lips but I'm planning on wearing it a lot this summer, be that going out at night, during the day or to festivals etc, so I'm sure it'll pop up on my blog sometime in the near future.

Now, which shade to choose next . . .

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Jubileeee Baking

Vanilla Jubilee Cupcakes

Before I get onto the beautifully patriotic cake me and my friend made, I've firstly got to mention the Jubilee Concert which took place last night! I wasn't planning on watching all of it (Revenge at 9, Made in Chelsea at 10 but by that time I had already pressed the R button on Sky Plus) but after watching the first hour how could I not?

The whole event looked incredible, with the infectious atmosphere and excitement of the 20 thousand strong crowd gathered up The Mall & the fireworks finale was just spectacular! I was only watching it in HD so imagine what it must have been like to really be there!

My favourite moments: Ed Sheeran, Stevie Wonder, Madness & the amazing projections onto Buckingham Palace during their performance, Cheryl Cole standing next to the Queen on stage, Kate Middleton & ... Prince Harry (I think I'm just a little bit in love with him).

Anyway onto how I spent some of my Jubilee weekend - Baking!! 

Union Jack cake made by me and my friend Sophie

 We did want to attempt this beauty of a cake which I found on Pinterest ....

But are saving it for the Olympic celebrations!

All of this Jubilee excitement has made me even more excited for upcoming Olympic Opening Ceremony Concert on Hyde Park on 27th July which I have tickets for!!! 

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July Magazine Freebies

So it seems almost every July magazine issue has some amazing freebies at the moment! Glamour and InStyle are two of my favourite monthly magazines so I was happy to see the brilliant make up they were giving away free with the new issues! 

Instyle has a choice of two The Body Shop make up items: Big and Curvy Mascara or Kohl Eye Definers in Black & Navy. Both are full size and the same as what are sold in store!

Glamour (which also has a choice of three cover stars) has three sample size products by Benefit: BadGal Lash Mascara, That Gal Primer & The Porefessional. 

I chose the mascaras with both magazines & am looking forward to giving them a try! I've used my friends Benefit They're Real Mascara for nights out recently & been so impressed so I've got high hopes for the BadGal Lash!! I will definitely be hunting down another copy of Glamour with the That Gal Primer to try out too! 

Next to buy is Elle with David Beckham on the cover (!?) ... at first I thought my eyes were deceiving me but its true! Its actually a very good way in getting even more women to buy the magazine (& the free gift is a summery vest top by Reiss!) . . .

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I want to go to a Gatsby party.

The Great Gatsby trailer has finally been released and I could not be more excited! I'm a huge fan of the book, having read it in English Lit at 6th Form and when I found out over a year ago that Baz Luhrmann was making a new (3D!) adaptation of my favourite book with Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby (best casting ever) I was literally counting down the days until its release!

From what the trailer shows, the whole look of the film is so very Luhrmann and completely encapsulates the extravagance and excitement of  1920's New York. Influences from this era have been seen on the catwalks for some time now and this bound to explode by the time the film is released this December. The fashion, alongside the performances and the film in general, are sure to be a huge talking point of the film. 

In a slightly unusual but brilliant choice, Jay Z and Kanye West's collaboration No Church For The Wild accompanies the opening voice over of the trailer and achieves in setting the whole tone for the film which is sure to be incredible.

I literally cannot wait to see this film and if Baz Luhrmann's previous masterpieces (Moulin Rouge anyone?) are anything to go by this will definitely not disappoint! 

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I left my heart in Falmouth . . .

Sooo last Thursday me and two friends, Sophie & Elise took a trip down the Falmouth, Cornwall for 4 days and it was AMAZING! It was Elise's first visit to this wonderful place, as Sophie and I had lived there for 3 years while at Uni and it was our first trip back since graduation last September! We stayed at Falmouth Lodge Backpackers, a cheap, clean and cosy hostel very close to the beach and town! I would definitely stay there again!

The Olympic Torch!

We were lucky enough to be in Falmouth for the first day of the Olympic Torch relay (Saturday 19th May) and the town was literally buzzing! I have never seen it so crowded before, it was such an exciting yet relaxed atmosphere...the epitome of Cornish life.

chilling by the harbour with a cider=PERFECT

We also went to see Wretch 32 at The Stannary at Tremough Campus for the last night of his Unorthodox Tour! It was SO good & we were literally SO close to getting backstage and meeting him...but that's another story!

Us with Jakwob

One of the best live performances I've been to

Enjoying an Elvis cocktail at The Shed

You know you've had a good night out when you come back with no photos from inside the club . . . 

Mama Africa...a recently opened club & my new favourite place

All in all it was the best 4 days I'd had in a LONG time! I miss it already...

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Met Ball 2012: Best Dressed

The Met Ball is such an exclusive, glamorous event and I couldn't wait to see the photos of the beautiful dresses worn last night! Here's my best dressed picks . . .

Emma Stone wearing Lanvin.

I'm a big Emma fan - her acting, style and her in general! This dress is cute, fun and yet still age appropriate. I'm always excited to see what she's going to wear as she clearly knows what suits her and likes to have fun with her dress choices! 

Claire Danes wearing J.Mendel 

This whole look is just stunning. I especially love the unusual neckline and detail on the dress, and the bead work is beautiful.

Dianna Agron wearing Carolina Herrera

I absolutely love the colour and fabric of this dress! It really stands out against a red carpet full of black, metallic and shimmery dresses.  

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