Go Ape...

We went to go ape on on Sunday for my friends 17th, and it was so much fun. I'm not athletic, I'm not fit, I can barely walk up the stairs most of the time, but it really was 'family fun' that everyone can get involved in. 

We went as a group of 6 16/17 year olds and it cost us about £30 each but for a solid 3-4 hours of pretty much none stop climbing and swinging and just doing things that push your comfort zone but not too much that's it's totally frightening, it's pretty damn good value. 

It's done in such a way where the groups are small enough so there is very very little waiting around and you can just get straight into it, everyone is supportive and you can go at your own pace along the paths and swings and you don't feel under pressure to go faster or push yourself beyond your comfort zone. There is options so there is no need to go down the 'extreme' routes with choices the harder areas for people who might struggle a little more. There is also a completely separate kids section so there is not to much noise or faffing around in the trees. 

It was high up, so yes, if your massively scared of heights that might be an issue, but my friend isn't too great with them, and she thoroughly enjoyed it as much as everyone else. I don't think it's really a test of ability either which is great as for someone who is not fit and agile, I still enjoyed myself and another of my friends who is fit and loves climbing and virtually lives in a harness, still found it fun. 

My advice, have a go! Because why not? :) 

Thanks guys x 

Slightly offensive games....

For those who haven't played it, i can pretty quickly say that 'Cards Against Humanity' is probably not a game for everyone. It'd without a doubt not a 'Family Game', that's for sure. 
But for 'horrible people', as the game states itself, with people not being young children i might add,  it is honestly, the funniest, most entertaining game i have ever played and would recommend it to anyone who can take things with a pinch of salt and have a good sense of humour. 

It's sick, It's twisted but its funny as hell. My friend introduced me to this game when he got a set for his birthday a few years ago and recently me and my friends have pretty much been playing this game none stop. It's a great way to pass an evening with friends that's entertaining but not too 'thought out'.

I won't explain to you exactly what it entails but it's simply a card game where you put something down in response to another card, with entertaining results. 

These are a few of the 'tamer'examples I found on the Internet from the original set rather than the expansions. Like I said, not for the easily offended. 

It's not expensive as games go, £20 off amazon for the main game, and it never gets boring with the many expansion packs available for not a ridiculous amount of money. 

I know I don't have a set personally but I feel every teenage friendship group should have one of these games between them as it is honestly one of the best games I've ever played and it is without a doubt my favourite at the moment. 

Thanks for putting up with my ramble, and I'm sorry I haven't been posting as much, it was back to school this week after the Easter holidays and then I've had a super busy weekend and with exams and everything, it's all been a bit hectic. But I'm not giving up yet, I promise :) 

Thanks guyS! x 

JO BLOGS...

Everyone has heard of People using Joe Bloggs right? 

Well over here in the UK, the name people use when giving examples or you know using a 'Generic name' is Joe Bloggs, not like i've ever heard of anyone called that but.....

But yeah my boyfriend just said to me 'Oh my goodness, Jo Blogs' and it excited me. 

Just thought i'd let you know the stupid little things that makes me smile. It was a favorite so i put it on my blog, because why the hell not. 
But yeah, Jo Blogs. 

Hi x 

Best Matte Top Coat....

I'm one of those people who really love painting my nails. Okay, i know its super girly but choosing colours and spending a little time making something that's pretty boring, not boring is rather enjoyable for me. And as the least artistic person, being able to create something is really satisfying to me. And i know a lot of people feel the same.

I feel like everyone needs some sort of top coat and that generally goes without saying. But recently I've really been loving the matte look and after literally standing in Superdrug with a matte colour in one hand and a matte top coat in another, i finally decided on this Barry M Matte top coat. And i adore it. 


It goes on super smoothly and sets really quickly. In fact, I've actually found that even if i put it on over an old nail polish that doesn't apply very smoothly and refuses to set, this can sort out the finish and even make it set faster which to me is a god send. It's gotten to the stage where i barely use any other top coats apart from this one from Barry M because i love the consistency and finish so much. This picture shows it over a Rimmel Polish 'Lose your Lingerie' that i'm not a massive fan of, it's a bit streaky and the brush is a bit big but the top coat definitely does something pretty impressive to it, the coverage becomes more smooth and it set much more quickly with a much more opaque finish as you can see. 

In regards to the finish, it does what it says on the tin and i haven't found one nail polish from my extensive collection that it doesn't leave as super matte. Even on my nails it feels great, it's kind of extra smooth, a bit hard to describe but my nails defiantly feel more smooth and almost soft after applying this over the top of my nail polish. It's almost like it takes the top layer off, i'm not sure how it works, but it definitely does something pretty damn cool. 

It also DEFINITELY prolongs the length of time that my nail polish lasts without chipping. I'm definitely careless and impatient with my nail polish and also end up chipping it or smudging it but with this top coat i can get a good couple of days perfect wear out of my polish, sometimes if i'm extra careful i might even get a week out of it! I know, i was shocked too! 


I'd definitely recommend you give this a go if your after something like this, because honestly, for the price of £2.99 i cant fault it and as this is my third bottle i've repurchased, i wouldn't even dream of swapping it for another product unless it really was a miracle polish. Plus, i know Barry M are a tad hit and miss with their polishes but as this is not only cheaper but an amazing product, for £2.99, i think everyone should have a bottle in their collection! 

Anyway, thanks for putting up with my ramble guys! 
Jo x 

East End Snob....

Hi all, 

I'm currently on the train back from an amazing time with my boyfriend in Liverpool for the last couple of days so I thought I'd share my thoughts a new favourite that although I haven't had long, know I'm going to love. 

I can't admit I've ever been a massive fan of lip liners, I've found them quite drying and generally don't find they last long alone or as a lipstick base. 

The Rimmel Exaggerate wasn't really an exception but as they are reasonably cheap at £3.99 each, I can't complain to try one every so often. None of the ones I've had before had massively impressed me, to be honest, this may just be because I am a lipstick kinda girl, I enjoy the texture and application of lipsticks so I may be a bit bias. 

Also, I'm not really a 'nude pink' kinda girl, I don't find it particularly flattering on my skin tone but after reading good reviews I picked this up in hope of something a bit different. 

From the few times I've used it, the shade 'East End Snob' is super flattering, a nicer consistency then most of the others I have tried and not too dry to blend out and apply. 

I can wear it as a colour on its own or apply a gloss or nude lipstick over the top and it leaves a really lovely natural pinkish colour that I love.

 It's a really great everyday on trend colour and I'd recommend  it if your looking for a everyday nude shade with just a hint of colour. 

Thanks guys! x 

Instagram.....

So as any teenage girl undoubtedly is at some point in their life, i'm into social media. SHOCK HORROR!

Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, who doesn't nowadays wake up and flick through the latest posts and tweets and messages from your friends, family and favorite celebrities, it's just common practice now. 
I'm a bit late to the party with Instagram, for a long time, i didn't really get it. I don't like pictures of me, as i am probably the most unphotogenic person possible and i'm not massively into photography and all that jazz. 
But when one of my friends started tweeting everyday her Instagram, i decided i had to get involved, if just to be able to view her pictures. It took a while for me to love it, but now i wouldn't look back.

Flicking through Twitter and Facebook now is laborious to me.If you follow the people you are interested in and they post things you want to see, Instagram is my top recommendation for social media. It's nice and simple to use and easy to flick through whilst waiting for a train or some other boring, mind numbing everyday task. 

You take a picture, add an arty filter, and suddenly you feel like a top class photographer, what's not to love?!

Anyway, enough ramble, but my tip, try it out. If it's not for you, it was worth a shot, but all my other social media has virtually been replaced now by this one app, so i'd recommend it. 

Happy Instagramming and if you want to chat to me, My Instagram is Josusanlee, so come say hi :) 

Thanks Guys! x

Tea, tea, tea...

Just a quick off the cuff post on something I have well and truly fallen in love with. 

I've always liked tea but I'd never really understood the difference in all these different types of tea on the market currently. I definitely hadn't tried this one until a friend of mine stayed in a premier inn last week and there was a few sachets of this Twinings Everyday in the room for him to use during his stay. He, not being a tea lover, handed them all over to me. 

And I haven't looked back... 

If I drink tea, I drink it strong and with little if any sweetener in it. This stuff is the perfect balance of those two things. It's the perfect strength for me with just the right amount of richness to it and it sweetens up without being too bitter. 

So, if like me, you're looking for a lovely cup of tea, this to me is well worth the £4.50 a box for 100 teabags. Okay it's pretty pricey, but after the samples I had to invest in my perfect brew. 

If you're happy to try something new, I recommend this stuff as I've found nothing I've tried tastes quite as lovely as this!

Thanks guys! x 

Berry Much.....

So as someone who is mildly, okay, very obsessed with lipstick, it takes quite an amazing product to impress me. But this one is really something. When i was on the hunt for the perfect berry lipstick last autumn, i picked this up on a whim from my local Tesco whilst on the weekly shop, just to see what it was like. 
The range was a new line from Maybelline and i wasn't completely convinced i'd like it, with it being in a pencil applicator, i thought it would be super drying and difficult to apply. 
And i can safely say that i LOVE it. 


The Color Drama range has everything i want from a lipstick. Colour choice, application, intensity, wear time, finish and feel on the lips.  The colour i initially picked up is called 'Berry Much' and I've found it to fast become the lipstick i reach for whenever i'm looking for a darker, berry lip. It's super flattering on my pale skin and i think it'd be an across the board favorite with people with all different skin tones too. 

The colour is dark enough to look good with everything but has a very purpley, red undertone which somehow looks quite classic. At first, as i said, i wasn't sure i was going to be a fan of the application, with the pencil shape and style. However, i've found this really easy to apply and for someone who struggles to properly follow the lipline all the way to the edge without a liner, I've found this to be the easiest way to do it, with enough control and movement to get the whole lip properly, much like using a liner. My only issue with the pencil, is when i come to sharpen it, my heart bleeds at how much product is wasted as sharpenings, although for the amount of product you get, this is not such a huge issue. 


The colour itself is very pigmented, not much is needed to get a really opaque finish and for such a dark colour, i have never found that it bleeds. The finish itself, is almost, but not quite matte. As matte lipsticks are normally quite drying, this has the perfect balance in finish and consistency with the colour being strong. The product feels creamy on the lips and sets to a lasting but not too drying finish. In terms of wear time, across the board this is a great product, it lasts for a really long time and touches up well every couple of hours so its really great for on-the- go. 

In all, i can safely say this is one of my favorite go-to lipsticks and although I've tried others from the range, which i like just as much, this is definitely my favorite colour, which is a shame as now we're moving out of winter, i have to transition to lighter colours. However, i would definitely repurchase this product and for the £4.99 price, i feel it's really worth a try. If the colour is an issue to you, i'd recommend you try 'Keep it Classy' which keeps the beautiful berry tone but without the intense darker shade.

Thanks Guys! x 

The Body Shop BB Cream Saviour...

Before i get into this post, let me just get this out there. 
I have dry, spot prone skin. I'm a teenager for goodness sake, hormones hate me, what can i say?

But recently, maybe it's just an influx of my teenager- ness coming to haunt me or the contrast between the freezing cold winter weather and the warm spring air, but my skin has been horrible. All my normal moisturisers have barely scratched the surface and all the foundations I've tried have sat on my skin and oxidized, drying out my skin a hell of a lot more. I've tried without but i'm one of those people who really struggle leaving the house without something to cover my spots. 
In a last ditch attempt for something to work, i dug out a reasonably old, virtually used up BB Cream from the Body Shop that i used to love. After squeezing out the remnants and re-discovering why i loved it so much in the first place, i bought myself a replacement and it's all I've used since. 

I'm a big advocate for the Body Shop ever since my friend introduced me to it last year. This may have started as being mainly due to her Mum working for Body Shop at home and as a result being able to get me reductions and special offers on nearly anything i wanted but it began to be more then that. Yes, the products are slightly overpriced in my opinion but compared to other products i have tried, i love the scents, the finishes and the results for my skin across the board. 

This Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream is no exception. I know Tea tree is supposed to be super drying but honestly, i have found this to have the perfect consistency on my skin. It blends out well and sits the best out of any BB cream or foundation on my skin and gives a really lovely finish, not too matte but not too glowy. I've found that the Tea Tree, spot reducing effects to work to some degree, (but then my skin doesn't tend to respond to many products, I've found prevention is much better then cure  for my skin after a lot of trial and error) and the scent smells slightly 'medicinal' but not as bad as some i have tried. Personally i like the smell of the product, and of tea tree in general but it is reasonably strong and i can understand why some people wouldn't. 

I've found the best way to apply this is with a dense buffing brush to really buff it into the skin as it can leave streaks if not blended in properly due to the consistency of the product. I'd say it has a medium coverage but you do not need too much to really get a nice finish on the product, which justifies slightly that for £8 a bottle, you only get 40ml of product. It comes in three shades, 01, 02 and 03 which is slightly minimal but only speaking for myself, I've found the product perfect, shade-wise. 

Anyway, that's enough ramble. But i can safely say that this is defiantly one of my firm favorites at the moment.
I'll probably be posting a few times in the next few days due to the fact I keep finding loads of random things i love but i'm going away tonight until tomorrow night so i'll see when i have time! 
Thanks Guys x   

Jo Blogs....

Like that play on words in the title? 
Yeah me too :)

After a few failed attempts to make some sort of blog of the things i like, here's my most recent attempt. 

See, as i'm a self confessed shopaholic, i tend to find myself discovering things i love and sometimes things that i don't. A lot of time, i find myself desperate to tell someone all about these amazing things I've found, but as my friends and family all either don't share the same interests or are completely done with my constant going on about this new lipstick or that new top, I've found i'm in dire need of some form of outlet. 

So here i am!

So Hi! My name is Jo and i'm from Cheshire. I have an unhealthy relationship with makeup, clothes, skincare, books, films, music and anything that costs me money actually. 

However, i'm a reasonably fussy shopper. I know exactly what i like and what i don't and i feel incredibly disappointed when i buy something i'm not a fan of. It's not like i spend a lot of money on individual items, i can't afford high end items, and even if i could, i'd probably be too worried about not liking them to actually throw myself in at the deep end and hope for the best. As a result, everything i ever say is my favorite is guaranteed to be reasonably affordable.

If you fancy knowing a little bit more about me as a person, please feel free to have a quick look at my page all about that ever so interesting subject :) 

afewfavourites.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html

I hope you enjoy my feeble attempts at blogging and thank-you for giving my rambling your time i guess. 

Thanks guys x