Thursday 24 December 2015

Wrapping Up for Winter

Knitwear is something you can't really overlook in the cold winter months, and it is a really good idea to invest in some good quality pieces which will actually keep you warm and will also last you year after year. Blanket wraps have been a huge trend in recent years and they can really spice up an outfit, especially if you choose a bold colour such as red and layer it over monochrome, as I have styled this outfit. However, my personal favourite benefit of blanket wraps is that you can sit down and cosy up in them no matter where you are!

Sunday 20 December 2015

NYE Party Dresses


NYE Party Dresses



New Year's Eve is the one night a year when you can go absolutely all out with your party attire and nobody will bat an eyelid. It's definitely the time for sparkles and lots of them, so I have picked out a few of my favourite glitzy party dresses on the high street for you to browse through in case you haven't found your perfect NYE dress just yet.

Saturday 12 December 2015

The Cambridge Interview

Ever since I was a little girl I have had my sights set on going to Oxbridge for University. After years of positive reinforcement from my teachers, family and friends about how intelligent I am, it was always something I just expected to happen. However, after a rocky few years and a huge drop in my own self-esteem, I was very close to not even putting them down as a choice on my UCAS application. It was a very last minute thing, as I decided to put an application in for Cambridge for Modern & Medieval Languages (French & Italian) only a couple of weeks before the early applicants deadline. I hadn't spent ages tailoring my personal statement to impress them so I wasn't really expecting much, but I knew if I didn't apply that I would be disappointing little 7-year-old me. 
 

Saturday 5 December 2015

Christmas 2015 Wishlist

Christmas Wishlist


Christmas is my favourite time of the year, and since I was little I've always put together a wishlist of things I'd like to receive as gifts (although it used to be in the form of a letter to Santa!) Obviously I don't expect to get everything, but I find it's nice to give people an idea of the kind of things you like in case they are struggling to decide what to get for you.

Saturday 28 November 2015

Tri-Active Facial at a Clarins Gold Salon

Up until recently I was completely unaware that there is a Clarins Gold Salon right around the corner from where I live, in Central Pharmacy Cardiff on Welfield Road. I got a lovely email from a lady called Chelsey asking me if I wanted to come along and try out one of their Tri-Active Facials, so obviously I jumped at the opportunity!
 

Saturday 21 November 2015

LUSH Winter 2015 Range

Last week I was invited to attend the LUSH Winter 2015 product launch along with lots of other bloggers from the Cardiff area. It was a lovely evening filled with amazing scents, extremely soft hands and lots of smiles and giggles between us girls and the Lush Ladies! We got the opportunity to smell, test and take photographs of the new Christmas product range, which definitely got me into the festive spirit despite it still being November! In this post I have featured a few of my favourite products, but if you want to see the full range I would highly recommend visiting a store near you to have a little sniff around!

Saturday 14 November 2015

14 Empowering Quotes for Strong Independent Women


 "Success or failure is caused more by mental attitude than by mental capacity." - Walter Scott

"The best project you’ll ever work on is you." 

Saturday 7 November 2015

Photoshoot with Agnes S. Smith

I am lucky enough to know Agnes S. Smith, an extremely talented Art & Fashion photographer based in Cardiff. We love meeting up and getting creative in a photoshoot together, so I thought I'd share with you guys some of the finished photographs from our most recent, extremely wacky shoot. I am by no means a model but she has the ability of making me feel really confident in front of the camera - the amazing shots really are all down to her!

Saturday 31 October 2015

AW15 Trend Report - The Coats of the Season

Farfetch is a global community of over 300 independent fashion boutiques from Paris to New York to Milan, united in one e-commerce website for your ease of access.

It is a website dedicated to supporting independent fashion and promoting the cultural diversity which comes from catering to each buyer's different vision.

I was recently contacted by Farfetch and was asked if I'd like to feature their latest AW trend report, all about statement coats. Personally I absolutely adored the graphic and wanted to share it with you guys, to give you a bit of inspiration to go for a more outgoing style of coat this season and incorporate both style and practicality.

I'm aware that many of the brands featured may be outside of some budgets, and although a statement coat is a fantastic investment to last you years, many alternatives can be found in similar styles. My favourite brands for coats include Missguided, Zara, Topshop & Uniqlo, ranging from good-quality basics to bold, eye-catching affairs.

My personal favourite coat trend is "The English Lady" as they are classic styles which can be worn year in, year out. If you go for a neutral colour such as black or grey, it can be layered over almost every outfit, making it practical for the winter and also worth investing in as you'll get a lot of wear out of it.

Another of my favourite coat styles is the classic trench. It transforms any outfit to look instantly slightly Parisian, and adds an edge of class and sophistication. I like to wear a trench over black skinny jeans, a plain white tee and a pair of black court heels, and then apply a coat of red lipstick before leaving the house for a pop of colour.

Fur coats and gilets have been really popular already this season, and I expect to see a lot more of them as the months go on. Personally I love light coloured faux fur, such as white, cream and baby pink. I'd stay away from the darker colours as I'd hate people to think I'd wear real fur!

I hope you've enjoyed this slightly different post for Joie de Jodie, I've really enjoyed writing it and looking in more detail at the trend forecast for the season (something I'd love to go into in the future!) Leave a comment below telling me which trend featured in this graphic is your favourite!


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Saturday 24 October 2015

5 Affordable Face Masks for Acne/Blemish-Prone Skin

Having skin prone to blemishes can be such a pain, and when you break out all you want is a quick-fix to make it go away! Obviously there is no magic solution to make all of your imperfections disappear, but I find that relaxing and putting on a face mask often calms my skin down and makes any spots less irritated. There are some hugely popular high-end brands which make face masks for blemish-prone skin, GlamGlow being an amazing one, but if you're not willing to fork out a lot of cash for a rare breakout then there are some cheaper ones which do the job just as well.

Saturday 17 October 2015

How much is my make-up collection worth?

Recently I've been trying to "shop my collection" when it comes to make-up and stop myself from buying new things when I already have drawers full of products. I was wondering how much exactly I have spent on make-up, and decided to total up everything I have currently (the results are painful!)

Saturday 10 October 2015

Paris Fashion Week SS15

My favourite thing to do during Fashion Week, no matter what city, is to scroll through the Vogue website admiring every aspect of every show - from the models to the location to, obviously, the clothes! I love the way shows tend to have running themes through them, and each piece is a development on the one before, as it makes looking back over the entire show very aesthetically pleasing for a perfectionist like me. The attention to detail which is put in is absolutely immense, and I'd love to be involved with the process one day! I thought I'd pick out some of my favourite looks from my favourite shows of Paris Fashion Week, to give you a taste of what's on the runways at the moment or just for some pretty pictures to look through! Personally, I always take a little bit of inspiration from every show, and although I wouldn't copy a look directly I definitely incorporate some influences into my own style.

 Martin Grant

 Alexander McQueen

Saturday 3 October 2015

September Favourites


September has been incredibly stressful and most of my time has been focused on settling back into my college routine for my final year of sixth-form college and my A2 exams, so blogging has unfortunately not really been a priority for me. I have however managed to find a few products I have been going back to time and time again over the course of the month, so naturally I just had to share them with you guys!

Saturday 26 September 2015

Must-Have "Coffee Table Books"

Although I am a complete literature nerd, I also have an overwhelming love for "coffee table books", those beautifully bound, picture heavy books that you can just flick through to spark some inspiration. I am always drawn to pink and white, so my collection is rather aesthetically pleasing and I thought it might be of interest for those of you who have a gap in your life (or room) which needs to be filled with pretty pages of fashion and beauty.

Saturday 19 September 2015

Natural Products Which REALLY Work (GIVEAWAY)

I was recently contacted by a brand called Maple Holistics, a natural, cruelty free brand which specialises in haircare and skincare. Obviously I jumped at the opportunity to try out some of their bestselling products, as I'm always on the look-out for products which really work to show you guys! I have been testing these products out for about a month, so I have a pretty good idea of how they work and what benefits they actually provide. IMPORTANT: Read this post until the end to be in with a chance of receiving your own free products!

Saturday 12 September 2015

Nude Collection by Kate - Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks (with swatches)

The original "by Kate" lasting finish collection from Rimmel are my all-time favourite drugstore lipsticks, which is a bold statement coming from a beauty blogger and a self-confessed lipstick hoarder! I already owned every shade I could get my hands on, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Rimmel were releasing a whole new collection of 5 perfect nudes, plus a lip balm! I must admit that I rushed to my nearest Boots store as soon as these beauties hit the shelves, and started off with picking up 3 of the new products.

Saturday 5 September 2015

Sixth-Form Survival Guide: Checklist & Tips

I am one of those people who really enjoys organising things; from filing sheets of paper away neatly into ringbinders to colour-coding notes to writing detailed to-do lists. I can think of nothing more exciting than the annual back to school shop, when you stock up for the year on coloured pens, notepads, highlighters, pencil cases, folders and the all important academic diary (or is that just me?) 

Tuesday 1 September 2015

August Favourites

August has absolutely flown by and I can't believe it's already time to go back to college! I've had a proper "sorting my life out" kind of month; clearing out and reorganising my room, getting through my huge book pile, working out and eating properly. As well as that, I have made some fantastic memories with my closest friends, including drinking a little bit too much champagne at my results day gathering and having a great night! If any of you are wondering, I got 4 A's in my AS levels, in French, Maths, Philosophy and English Literature, surprising even myself! I'm planning to work just as hard (if not harder) next year to keep my grades up and get into my university of choice.

Friday 28 August 2015

1-Minute Festival Hairstyles

Festivals are the perfect opportunity to experiment a little more with your hair, to achieve that perfect boho messy-but-still-cute vibe. You'll want to use styles that keep hair off your face and that with stay in place whatever the weather (which will probably be rain, let's be honest). For this post, I have put together 3 hairstyles, one for each day of a weekend festival. Each style uses the same base and they won't take you more than a minute to transition from one to the other, so you won't miss any of the music!

Tuesday 25 August 2015

LUSH Summer Product Launch

I recently attended a product launch at the LUSH store in Cardiff, to hear all about their new products, watch some impressive demonstrations, have a good old sniff around (literally), and generally have a fun night with some other local bloggers!

Friday 21 August 2015

Morocco: Holiday Outfit #5 (City)

We decided to take a break from relaxing by the pool and travel into the heart of Marrakech to discover the city, the locals and the customs. The tour guide we were allocated only spoke French and Arabic, which although wasn't a problem for me as a French student, my family couldn't understand a word he was saying! Luckily he had a friend who spoke English, who bounced up to meet us with a huge grin on his face, which was the same expression we saw all day on the faces of the locals who met us.

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Morocco: Holiday Outfit #4 (Pool)

My days in Morocco were mostly spent by the pool, purely because it was too hot to do anything else and I kept having to jump in to cool myself down! It was definitely a holiday more focused on relaxing than exploring the actual country, but I have had my fair share of those holidays and really just needed some time to chill out after a stressful year.

Friday 14 August 2015

Morocco: Holiday Outfit #3 (Tennis)

The resort we stayed at in Morocco had two amazing clay tennis courts, which nobody was playing on because it was far too hot (45 degrees Celcius!) My brother is absolutely tennis crazy, so we decided to wake up early every day to play tennis before the heat became too unbearable.

Tuesday 11 August 2015

Morocco: Holiday Outfit #2 (Evening)

My general daily schedule while on holiday in Morocco was: wake up at 7am, have breakfast, play tennis, get changed for the pool, sunbathe & read, have lunch, sunbathe & read & swim, get changed for the evening, have dinner, sit in the bar with drinks watching the entertainment. So, I had about 3 outfit changes on a regular day. This outfit is one of my favourites which I wore in the evening.

Friday 7 August 2015

Morocco: Holiday Outfit #1 (Pool)

I've just come back from an amazing 11 day holiday to Marrakech, Morocco with my family. I took a few photos while I was out there, of some of the outfits I wore, the beautiful hotel and the interesting city itself. I've decided to do a short series of posts, showing you just a snippet of the lovely time I had.

Tuesday 4 August 2015

July Favourites

Words cannot describe how happy I am that it's finally summer! I am actually currently on a much-needed holiday in Morocco, but I wrote this favourites post in advance so I could still round-up all of the products I've been loving this month. I'm planning to do some holiday diary and outfit posts when I get back, so keep an eye out for those during August (or even better, follow me on Bloglovin' so you don't miss out!)

Friday 31 July 2015

Tumblr #2

If you read my last Tumblr blog post, you'll know that I spend a large portion of my time scrolling through my Tumblr dashboard reblogging anything that catches my eye, whether it be beauty, fashion, food, people, buildings, travel or quotes. This gives me a way to gather all of my visual inspiration in one place and work out my "aesthetic". In this post I'm going to give you a peek at the kind of things I reblog, but you can see it all in much more detail at itsjodie.tumblr.com!

Tuesday 28 July 2015

Summer Nights

On a sunny day recently, my friends and I decided to drive down to Ogmore beach and spend the evening watching the sunset with a barbeque and good company. I really love getting out of the city on days like these and just appreciating the world around me, as well as the friends I am lucky to have.

Friday 24 July 2015

Waterloo Tea in Wyndham Arcade

I can honestly say that Waterloo Tea is hands-down my all-time favourite café. That is an extremely bold statement to make, for someone who spends far more of their life in coffee shops than they like to admit. Whether I'm at their original Pen-y-lan branch or their new place in Wyndham Arcade, whether I'm stopping in for breakfast, lunch, tea & cake or afternoon tea, they never fail to impress me with their amazing selection of food & drink  and their friendly service.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Summer High-End Beauty Wishlist



Summer High-End Wishlist

I thought it might be a nice idea to create a new regular feature on my blog, showing you all of the products I currently have my eye on to purchase. It will give you guys the opportunity to tell me whether they are worth the money if you have already tried them, but also to share with me the products on your own wishlist, which may also find their way onto mine! I have compiled a Polyvore set of my current high-end beauty wishlist, which you can explore below!


Friday 17 July 2015

Summer Style Series: The Beach Outfit

One of my favourite parts of summer is visiting the beach and spending long relaxed days on the sand and in the sea. Although style is not top of my list of priorities at the beach (practicality and temperature are much more crucial), it doesn't mean you have to sacrifice it altogether!

Tuesday 14 July 2015

Summer Style Series: The Formal Outfit

This is the second installment of my Summer Style Series, bringing together outfits for all summer occasions. As summer is typically known as "wedding season", I decided it would be silly not to include a formal outfit. I went for something quite cool and airy, but if you prefer to be a little more covered up then you could always wear a sleeved shirt or jacket and a longer skirt.

Friday 10 July 2015

Summer Style Series: The Casual Outfit

Summer is without doubt my favourite season. As much as I love curling up in front of the fire with a steaming mug of hot chocolate in the winter, I just can't get enough of the scorching hot sun and long summer evenings with friends. Another of my favourite things about summer is the fashion, although layering is long gone and I can't wear my beloved knitwear, I love wearing floaty tops and dresses and being able to leave the house without a coat.

Tuesday 7 July 2015

Finding the Perfect Gift

Gifts are one of my favourite parts of celebrations, as I really enjoy shopping for other people and picking out things I know they'll love. I get a certain kind of joy when watching someone open a present, unravelling the ribbon bow and carefully peeling back the sellotape in an attempt to preserve the beautiful wrapping paper. I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside as I watch a smile creep across their face as they look up to lock eyes with me and say "thank you".

Friday 3 July 2015

June Favourites

 
I was hoping June would provide me with a well-needed break after sitting my AS levels along with loads of other busy things in May, but it has been another crazy month! I've been writing my personal statement for UCAS which has been so stressful as it reminded me how little time I have left of being a child with no responsibilities before I head off to university and adulthood. I also was successful in applying to the Hilton as an events waitress, so now I have lots and lots of long evening shifts (although I get to do proms and parties and weddings so I'm super excited!)

Tuesday 30 June 2015

GIVEAWAY: Naked 2 Basics Palette!

Today marks 6 months since I started this blog! It has been such a whirlwind as I have been juggling it with my A levels, a part-time job, enough sleep and a social life, and I definitely couldn't have kept going if it hadn't been for the amazing support I have received from other bloggers and my followers. I thought it would be nice to do something where I give back to you guys, so have decided to do a giveaway of one of the items which sits at the top of my wishlist at the moment! I can't really justify buying it for myself as I already own the Naked 2 fill sized palette, but I'd love to treat one of you to owning the Naked 2 Basics Palette! Keep reading to find out how you can win!

Friday 26 June 2015

Empties #1

I love reading empties posts because you discover all of the products people actually swear by and use up consistently, rather than the ones they buy to jump on the bandwagon and review, then never use again. All of the products I have included are ones which I have tried and tested for months, and continue to repurchase. 

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Garlands Eatery & Coffee Shop in Duke Street Arcade

I managed to persuade my mum, a self-confessed workaholic, to take a morning off and spend some quality time over breakfast with me (my favourite meal of the day). We chose to go to Garlands Eatery & Coffee Shop, located in Duke Street Arcade in Cardiff, as I had been lusting over their breakfast menu for quite some time.

Friday 19 June 2015

High-End Staples

I have mixed opinions on splurging on high-end make-up, as frankly the alternatives you can find today in the drugstore are often just as good, if not better. However, I think it's really nice to invest in a few staple products which you will get good use out of on a day-to-day basis, rather than leaving them to sit in your drawer for "special occasions". I've put together a little collection of products I think are worth the hype, money and are appropriate for everyday wear, so (if you want to) you can incorporate a little something more special into your make-up routine to give you that extra bit of confidence about how on point you look!


Tuesday 16 June 2015

Summer Shades

I am one of those people who can never sit still long enough to let my nails dry without smudging them, so as I result I rarely ever bother at all! However, I have been trying really hard to get into nail polishes as I think they look so cute when they compliment an outfit, especially in the spring and summer when it's a little more acceptable to wear really bright colours! So, what better way to encourage myself to actually bother with my nails than to get a few really exciting new nail polishes? 

Friday 12 June 2015

#JORDwatch: Effortless Style for Men & Women

I've never included men's fashion on my blog before, but when JORD watches contacted me to ask whether I wanted to review one of their beautifully crafted wooden watches, one of the first things I noticed about their collection was the fact that they cater perfectly to both genders, with some watches being very simple and unisex and some with a bit more sparkle for people like me who can't resist a bit of added glam. JORD very kindly sent me two watches, one for women and one for men, so I could show off how adorable they look as a pair (if you want to be that couple who wear matching accessories!)