Next shift dress and lunch in Glasgow.

Yesterday Steven and I made use of a voucher for discounted all day travel on First Bus Glasgow and headed into the city centre for shopping and lunch. I took the opportunity to wear my lovely new shift dress from Next, which I styled with black tights and tan brogues which I picked up from the Generation 915 section in New Look a few months ago. I definitely recommend this dress; the shape is flattering, the length is perfect (I’m 5’ 5’’) and it even has three-quarter length sleeves for people like myself, who don’t like to bare their upper arms if they can help it! I’m wearing the dress in a size 16R but it also comes in petite and tall versions.

Dress: Next - Brogues: New Look Generation 915 - Jacket: Oasis

Scarf: Amazon.co.uk - Bag: Cath Kidston - Owl Pendant: New Look

After a quick look in some of the shops in Argyle Street, we made our way to our favourite burger place in the city, Jacker de Viande. Everything about this restaurant is perfect, from the bold, macabre décor and the polite, well-dressed service staff to the theatrical silver platter that your food arrives on. The burgers are always fantastic, cooked to perfection with an amazing balance of toppings and flavours. We each went for the bacon cheeseburger with a portion of cheese and BBQ pulled pork topped skinny fries.

After lunch we walked up to Sauchiehall Street for more shopping. I spent more time than I should have browsing the delicious-smelling wares in Lush but managed to control my spending, coming away with only a small bottle of their “No Drought” dry shampoo, which has been popping up on various blogs recently. I’m excited to use it – keep your eyes peeled for a follow-up post!

All in all, a good day - a disappointing offering from Starbucks and Steven’s debit card breaking in a chip and pin machine notwithstanding…! A quick call to the Royal Bank of Scotland call centre later, he has a new card on order and a code for emergency cash – phew!

I hope your weekend was a good one!

Clinique 3-Step System.

Liquid Facial Soap - Clarifying Lotion 2 - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

First of all, allow me to apologise for the terrible photo quality. This was taken on my iPhone at around 10pm last night, so no natural light. Regardless, I'm sure these are products that you've seen time and time again!

It has been three weeks since I started using the Clinique 3-Step System and I am so happy that I did. It all started with a trip to House of Fraser on Buchanan Street, Glasgow, where I took a quick questionnaire regarding my skin type and the lovely salesman was able to advise me on which products from the range would be best for me. He then sat me down and took me through each step individually, explaining in detail what the product would do for me and what outcome I could expect. He explained that the three steps work together to achieve the end result and when he was done (the back of my hand has never felt so smooth...!) I was convinced. After a good fifteen minutes (while my poor boyfriend was left to wander amongst the lipsticks and mascaras!), my personal system of the standard Liquid Facial Soap, Clarifying Lotion number 2 (dry/combination) and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion was priced up for me. At around £70 for all three, I was hesitant to throw money at the gentleman just in case I found that the products were not suitable for me after all so, after some deliberation, I went for the more modest 3-Step Introduction Kit, which retails at £20.

The kit contains 50ml of the Facial Soap, 100ml Clarifying Lotion and 30ml Moisturizing Lotion, which may not sound like a lot but, as you can see from the photo, three weeks of religious, daily use has barely made a dent. I'm glad that I chose to do it this way for financial reasons too - they are running out at different speeds so I will only have to shell out for one at a time, rather than paying for three full-size bottles in a single whack. Some people may find that they use the products morning and night so, obviously, their supply would deplete twice as quickly but I use it in the morning only and have seen a vast improvement. I suffer from rather obvious redness on my cheeks and the skin around my nose, cheeks and forehead can get quite dry and flaky but both complaints have all but disappeared already!

Using the products couldn't be more simple:

• Wet your face with cool water, lather up a pea-sized amount of the soap and rinse - step one done. (Do not use hot water to wash your face as you'll dry it out!).
• Pat the skin dry and tip some of the lotion onto a cotton wall ball. One or two turns of the bottle will suffice - this is a liquid exfoliator and using too much or scrubbing too hard will leave your face sore and red. Lightly wipe the cotton wool over any problem areas, usually the T-zone.
• When the lotion has dried, apply the moisturisor as normal. You'll find that it is absorbed really quickly, as the first two steps have primed your skin perfectly for the final one.
• Enjoy your new soft, even skin!

In a nutshell, I'm a total convert and will definitely pay for the full-size bottles of each product. Another satisfied customer!

Modcloth wishlist.

The Pennsylvania Polka dress - Networking Necessities cardigan - You Can 'Do It hair pin set - Sentimental Strides heels - Critter-cal Mass bag

The day that I discovered US retro fashion website Modcloth was simultaneously the best and worst day of my life. Best, because there are literally dozens of things that I would happily buy in a heartbeat. Worst, because there are LITERALLY dozens of things that I would happily buy in a heartbeat. So far I've managed to restrain myself and I've only bought two dresses, found here and here. The prices are pretty reasonable, the clothes themselves are gorgeous and the shipping times are excellent; it took my dresses just over a week to make their way from the States into my impatient, greedy hands here in Glasgow. My wishlist is growing steadily but shipping costs being what they are, it will be more cost-effective to save for a couple of months and do one massive haul. Boo.

The lovely people at Modcloth regularly send me modest discount codes and email notification of flash sales and contests. Their catalogue is ever expanding but be quick, things tend to sell out very quickly, especially in the more middle-of-the-road sizes. Speaking of sizes - US numbered sizes are two below our own (it feels nice to pull on a size 10 teehee!) so be careful to read the size guide thoroughly.

Other than the sizing difference, the website is great. It is easy to navigate and the item description even has a handy section which tells you if the item runs small, large or is true to size. I wish every fashion website was so honest!

UK buyers should be aware that purchases made from US websites will be subject to import tax, a fact that I was only vaguely aware of when UPS slapped me with an invoice for £25!

Time flies.

Today I was calculating Very Boring Money Stuff (as is the technical term, I believe) and I realised that I get paid again in two weeks, which means that we're now halfway through February. How?! It was Christmas last week, I'm sure of it...

Thanks to this revelation, I've made the decision to plan my year month by month. My plans include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Learn to cross stitch.
• Pick up my crochet hook and actually finish a piece!
• Read one book a month. I used to read one a week when I was commuting an hour each way to my old job but it really has fallen by the wayside.
• Take more photos.
• Stop being so lazy with my hair.
• Start running again.
• Take up yoga.
• Bake! I haven't baked a single thing since I moved in with Steven and I miss it.
• Save as much money as is comfortable each month.
• Make more of an effort to see my friends once a month. We all have very different schedules and there's the financial aspect to it now that I have to travel to visit them but friendships need to be nurtured and I can't complain that I'm lonely if I don't make the effort.
• Take my dog for longer walks and use it as a chance to explore! I've been very bad about taking him out for the bare minimum amount of time and it's not fair to him as he's full of energy and I shouldn't use my loathing of the rain as an excuse.

I'm sure I'll add more as I think of them but this is definitely enough to get going. Watch this space!

Introductions.

What is your entire name?

Jessica Anne Cherry.

How old are you?

I’m 23.

Age you get mistaken for:

18, depressingly.

Your zodiac/horoscope and if you think it fits your personality:

I’m Taurus, but I don’t believe in stuff like that.

What did you do on your last birthday?

My lovely boyfriend met my parents for the first time! We travelled down to their house and had a nice birthday dinner.

What is one thing you would like to accomplish before your next birthday?

I’d like to start running again and I’d like to get back into reading.

What is your hair colour?

Mid brown.

What is your eye colour?

Hazel.

Do you wear contacts/glasses?

Both!

Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it:

It’s small and squishy but I’m okay with it.

Do you have any tattoos?

I have 22 tattoos.

Do you have any piercings?

I’ve had 29 piercings but I only wear jewellery in about eight of them.

Left or right handed?

Righty.

Do you drink?

Not at all, give or take a Bailey’s hot chocolate at Christmas time.

Do you smoke?

I used to but I stopped eighteen months ago.

Do you have any pets?

A hamster, George, and a six month old miniature Jack Russell, Archie.

Where do you work?

At Strathclyde University.

Do you have any “rules” about food?

Saucy foods can’t touch dry foods (no beans  on my chips, thanks!) and I always eat my favourite part of the meal last.

Where are you from?

I’m from Edinburgh and I lived there my whole life until five months ago, when I upped and moved over to Glasgow.

What talent do you wish you’d been born with?

I wish I could draw. I’m absolutely terrible at it though.

Do you sleep with a stuffed toy?

He stays on the bedside unit but I have my teddy, Boo. He was a Christmas present two years ago.

What do you think about the most?

Food!

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

Absolutely not. It’s infinitely better though.

Do you have any phobias?

Heights, spiders, cockroaches, moths… any insect of any kind, really! I really don’t like the dark either.

Are you allergic to anything? If so, what?

Latex and the glue on plasters.

Share something about yourself others might think is weird:

I once went three years without getting my hair cut. I now get it trimmed every two months and love my pampering salon trips!

What’s your favourite colour?

Pink, probably. It depends on my mood.

What is your favourite quote and why?

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean it’s not real?” – Albus Dumbledore.

What is your favourite type of food?

BBQ! Any kind of American food, really. Burgers, buffalo wings, ribs, pulled pork… yum!

You favourite ice cream?

Mint choc chip.

What’s your favourite animal?

Either dogs or guinea pigs. I’ve owned both and they’re both hilarious and amazing.

Dogs or cats?

I love both but probably dogs.

What is your favourite flower?

Roses of any kind, but especially pale pink.

What is your favourite season?

Spring, definitely! Not too hot, not too cold and you still have the whole summer to look forward to.

What’s your favourite television show?

Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Bones, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad… too many to pick just one!

Are you more like your mum or your dad?

My mum, both in looks and personality.

Do you have any siblings?

I have a younger brother. He’s 17 and very similar to me, though we couldn’t look more different if we tried!

Where would you like to live?

Paris. My favourite place in the whole world.

What would your dream house be like?

A small cottage with a real fire, squashy armchairs and shabby-chic interior. Lovely.

Top three places to visit:

My three favourite places are Edinburgh, Paris and New York City. Three places I’d love to visit are Tokyo, Rome and San Francisco.