Tuesday 30 June 2015

My Favourite 12 Posts from Last June!

Hey everyone :)

Today is an exciting day! It's my blog's birthday. Yes that's right ... this day 1 year ago I posted my first post ...

I can't believe it's been a year already ... time has flown by and I've had a blast - blogging is great fun and I've met (online) some lovely and amazing people!

shoutjohn happy birthday

Now I wanted to do something fun - initially I thought I'd get some helium filled 'number 1' balloons and run around a field while Dave (my boyfriend) took some arty pictures of me ... but you have to put an order in for some balloons - I mean seriously ... why can't you just go in and get them there and then ... anyway that idea is out the window.

I also passed my driving test a year ago last week (if that makes sense) - so that's very exciting - I've been driving for 1 year! Eek!

Anyway here are my 12 favourite posts - 1 from each month:

September - PS3: Destiny Game
October - #LOVETOBER
April - Fish Soho
May - AppleWatch

Have you reached your 1st birthday for your blog yet? Or have you been around for some time now? Let me know in the comments.


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Thursday 25 June 2015

H&M ... again!

Hi everyone :)

So if you've followed my blog then you'll know I'm a big fan of H&M - their clothes are good quality and I love the simplistic designs and colours.

So I think that's a good enough excuse to put together a Summery post.

Today we are on the subject of 'tank tops' or 'singlets' as H&M call them!

h&m tank top singlet shoutjohn

I got into an obsession with striped clothing last year and nearly 3/4 of my closet is striped clothing from either H&M, River Island or Primark. I'm not ashamed and love stripes! It might be out of fashion or 'not it' at the moment but I don't care.

Okay so I chose another striped top - can you blame me? This is a longer size and probably would look like a skirt on me but I like the look of it. It would go well with a pair of shorts and a pool and a cocktail in hand.

I like these two shades and think they go well together. The addition of the little surfer adds a cool effect to it. Even though I'll never use the little pocket - it still looks good.

I don't normally choose tops like this - I prefer simple, striped or blocked colours and I'm not really interested in slogans or anything. But I saw this one and liked the colour effect and the picture. I think it would really good with a pair of shorts and some flip flops.

Let me know what you think - have you had a look at H&M's new Summer items? There is some really good stuff!


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Tuesday 23 June 2015

COCOWHITE: Oil Pulling For Whiter Teeth

Hey everyone :)

So you can probably guess by the title of the post what this post is about today.


So I actually bought this product myself a few months ago (so yeah it's not a sponsored post). It costs £19.99 and I got free shipping but that might have changed now so be sure to check if you plan to purchase it. You can check it out on their website HERE. They also ship worldwide which is great too (but again I'm in the UK and shipping may be costly if you're not in the UK).

I don't know how I discovered Cocowhite - I think I saw someone on Twitter with it and then I discovered what it did and what it was and thought 'I might as well give it ago' - I had just around the time this started becoming popular spent £450 on cosmetic teeth whitening - which didn't really do much for me and burnt like hell.

So what is this you ask? Well ... Cocowhite offer a healthier and alternative to the chemical teeth whitening/peroxide craze that is going on. This is basically coconut oil and flavouring (so it doesn't taste of nothing/oil). Oil pulling has been around for thousands of years as an Indian folk remedy. It involves spooning some oil into your mouth and swishing it around for 5-15 minutes and then spitting it out. 

Cocowhite thought that was too much hassle - who wants an ugly jar and spoon on your bedside table so they got little sachets and the right amount and created these little beauties in the picture below:


So if you we go back in time to biology lessons at school. You were told that there are thousands of different bacteria in your mouth. Some are good and some are bad. The bad bacteria cling to your teeth and this is also known as plaque (you may have heard your dentist go on about this - I know mine does). The main benefit of oil pulling is that it removes a large amount of this bacteria when you swish it around your mouth. What happens is that the bacteria get stuck in the oil as it swishes around your mouth and dissolve in the oil, so when you spit it out - out goes the oil and the bacteria with it.

This is a very healthy alternative to chemical cleaning - the ingredients are 100% natural and preservative free. There are no peroxides, chemicals or any nasty ingredients contained in these sachets.

If you want any more information than what I've given you - check out Cocowhite's about page HERE.

So when you purchase the product there are 4 choices available:
- Light lemon flavour 
- Vanilla swirl flavour
- Minty fresh flavour
- Assorted (above 3) flavours

I chose the minty fresh flavour. You get 14 sachets (so 2 weeks worth).

So there are three steps to this - it's not rocket science:

Step 1: Snip or break the top lid off and squeeze contents into your mouth.
Step 2: Swirl the liquid for 5-15 mins (the first time I did this only for 3 mins then was nearly sick so don't panic if you can't do it straight away).
Step 3: Spit it out and smile :)

Unfortunately I didn't originally plan to do a post on this so I didn't do any before or after pictures - however I've noticed there are pictures on Cocowhite's about page (which is HERE) and if you check out their Instagram HERE then there are some on there too. 

Let me know what you think in the comments and if you've used it and noticed a difference?



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Thursday 18 June 2015

Destiny: The Taken King

Hey everyone :)

The moment I (and probably thousands or maybe millions of other people) were waiting for happened at E3. The announcement and details of Destiny's new expansion: The Taken King.

the taken king destiny

There have been rumors and speculations for months as to what the next expansion was going to contain and it looks amazing so far. Destiny haven't released full details (such as exactly what missions there will be or what new weapons or armor has been added) but what they have told us is still very exciting.

Firsty, a new subclass has been added for each class:

destiny the taken king

Titan: Sunbreaker (solar)
Incendiary siege engines of war, Sunbreaker Titans hammer and shatter their enemy's ranks from afar, raining cleansing fire down upon fortified defensive positions.

destiny the taken king

Warlock: Stormcaller (arc)
Stormcallers directly manipulate arc energy, focusing body and mind to channel and chain the lightening. Their enemies are given fair warning - flee from battle or face the storm.

destiny the taken king

Hunter: Nightstalker (void)
All hunters master the frontier, but none claim territory quite like a Nightstalker. Shadowshot binding may seem more merciful than gun or blade ... until the feeding frenzy begins.

Secondly, we have a new enemy with the expansion:

Oryx, The Taken King
If you didn't know already - Oryx is Crota's father and he is out for revenge because we killed Crota (with his own sword). From the information online - it looks like Oryx fathered all the hive and they exist because of him so we killed his child and he wants to kill us.

The Taken
Oryx also has the ability to control a corrupted army called 'the taken'. These are possessed beings that have been consumed by the darkness. They only have one goal - the eradication of the Guardians.

The Dreadnaught
Oryx has arrived on 'The Dreadnaught' a massive ship with an impenetrable hull that is said to house pathways to ancient Hive that have pledged their allegiance to Oryx and who will use their shrines to empower and protect their King.

With the addition of the Oryx storyline this will add new story missions to the game as well as new strikes. They will also add a new raid to the game as well which will be similar to the Dark Below which needs a team of 6 to try.

The game will still be available on PS3 and Xbox 360 and newer consoles: PS4 and Xbox One.

Destiny has introduced new 'edition's of the game:

Digital Download
Players who already own Destiny, The Dark Below and House of Wolves will be able to purchase a digital copy of The Taken King. This will include:

- The Taken King
- Exclusive Sparrow
- Exclusive Shader
- Founder's Fortune Emblem

Legendary Edition
This edition will include:

- The Taken King
- Destiny
- Expansion 1: The Dark Below
- Expansion 2: House of Wolves

Collector's Edition
This edition will include:

- The Taken King
- Destiny
- Expansion 1: The Dark Below
- Expansion 2: House of Wolves
- Collector's Edition Steelbook Case
- Weapons Pack
- Cayde-6's Intel Cache

Digital Collector's Edition
This edition will include:

- The Taken King
- Destiny
- Expansion 1: The Dark Below
- Expansion 2: House of Wolves
- Weapons Pack

That's all the information I have been able to gather regarding 'The Taken King' - the question now for me is to either stick with the PS3 version or treat myself to a PS4 ... decisions, decisions!

If you want to keep up to date then you can check the Destinypedia - which is like a Destiny Wikipedia HERE. This has some great video footage of the new subclasses which are worth checking out.



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Wednesday 17 June 2015

The Tea Tag

Hey everyone :)

the tea tag shoutjohn

If there is one thing that is a constant in my life it's my morning cup of 'wake-me-up' tea that I get as soon as I get into work every morning at 04:55 (yes AM!).

So when I came across the 'tea tag' I knew I had to do it ... I thought I'd spice things up so Dave (the boyfriend) is going to answer the questions too.

Q1. Hot or cold?
J: hot - it's cold in England - why would I drink hot tea cold?!
D: hot - cold tea is horrible.

Q2. Strong or weak?
J: strong - I normally leave the tea bag in.
D: in the middle - not too strong but not too weak.

Q3. Loose leaf or tea bag?
J: tea bag - loose leaf is too much effort!
D: loose leaf - it's nice to do it yourself and its posher (yes he actually said that) :S

Q4. Do you buy your tea or steep at home?
J: I normally buy a random cup of tea when I'm out, but normally I drink it at work.
D: I steep at home as when I'm out I normally buy coffee, never tea.

Q5. Favourite cold tea?
J: Starbucks Mango Passionfruit Blended Juice Drink (there is some tea in there somewhere).
D: Lipton Iced Tea

Q6. Favourite hot tea?
J: Starbucks Awake English Breakfast Tea
D: Normal, plain english breakfast tea (that's because I made him choose one) otherwise anything!

Q7. When do you like to drink your tea?
J: Just as I get into work before I get to the office I head to the kitchen and make a cup of tea.
D: I'll drink it whenever - if I had to choose morning time when I wake up.

Q8. What do you like in your tea?
J: I'm simple - milk, no sugar.
D: You should know that! Milk, no sugar too!

Q9. Have you always liked tea?
J: Yes, since I can remember anyway. I think I liked it cold when I was younger.
D: Yes I think so ... 

Q10. What tea do you recommend?
J: I really love the Starbucks Awake English Breakfast Tea (this isn't a sponsored post lol).
D: I've recently tried (and love) the Orange Pekoe tea.

Q11. Do you have a favourite brand of tea?
J: (again not sponsored) but Starbucks tea is my absolute favourite at the moment.
D: Anything - I'm not picky like him (meaning me).

Q12. Least favourite tea?
J: Not a fan of earl grey tea - yuck!
D: fruit tea - they are really deceiving - they smell nice but taste of nothing!

Q13. Is there a particular snack/food you like to eat with your tea?
J: I normally have cereal with my tea or at the moment I love TUC biscuits.
D: Normally a chocolate digestive biscuit.

Q14: What is your favourite mug?
J: I like big mugs (like those massive ones from the TV show 'Friends').
D: I'll drink out of anything - I don't really have a favourite mug - a mug is a mug :/ (he's boring!)

and that folks ... is the tea tag! 

Let me know what you think and if our answers are similar/the same.

I got the tag/questions from Scola Dondo's YT channel - which you can check out her video of the tag HERE and the questions are in her description too :)

If you are reading this then I tag you - feel free to do the tag and let me know you have done it - tweet me or leave a comment with the link to your post! 



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Tuesday 16 June 2015

My Morning Routine

Hey everyone :)

morning routine shoutjohn sky cloud

So I wanted to do a morning routine post for my blog as I thought it would be quite interesting for you to see how I get ready ... maybe not ... I don't know ...

I considered doing a YouTube 'morning routine' video however I get up at 4am and I can barely be bothered to get up and get ready - let alone record myself doing it too.

So lets get to it ...

04:00
My alarm has just gone off and I grumble. Normally around this time one of my flatmates is also getting up so I normally hear him open his door and go to the toilet. I only mention this because I have to wait for him to finish so I can get in and use the shower. I normally take this time to check emails (personal and work), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr - I don't normally get through them all - the leftovers I normally check when I'm at work.

04:10
I grab a towel and rush downstairs to the shower and jump in once it's heated up.

aussie miracle shine shampoo and conditioner

For my hair I am currently using the Aussie 'Miracle Shine' range - I started using it because my hair was dull and boring-looking and I wanted to give it some shine! This stuff has been amazing and I've kept using it. 

garnier pureactive 3 in 1 wash scrub mask

For my face I alternate between two different products - I use the Garnier Pure Active 3 in 1 normally on Tuesday and Thursday as I don't think scrubbing your face everyday is a good thing to do. This product can be used as a scrub, wash or mask. I tend to use it as a scrub. I use my little glove and apply the 'paste' and then gently massage my face. I normally go over my nose area and t-zone 2 or 3 times as that's the most congested area of my face.

nivea soothing cleansing mousse

Every other day I use the Nivea Soothing Cleaning Mousse. This product comes out as a mousse (even though its looks like a pink liquid). So it just foams over your face and then wipes off or if I'm in the shower I just use the cloth to rub my face and then wash the excess away with water from the shower.

soap and glory sugar crush body wash

I've been using this product for about 6 months now - it's the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash - firstly it smells amazing and secondly it doesn't aggravate my skin so a big plus there.

04:25
I then quickly turn off the shower, do an odd squeak/scream and then grab my towel and stand shaking/shivering for a couple of seconds as our heating isn't normally on at this time of the morning. Then I run upstairs and turn my little heater on.

04:35
Once I've dried up and thrown my work clothes on it's normally around 04:35. I normally run round my room and make my bed and pile up dirty cups or plates and just make the place look neat. I then make myself look presentable.

Firstly I start with my body:

sure shower fresh and sure bright bouquet and armani diamonds for men

So I use different deodorants all the time - but at the moment I have been using the Sure range as they last for 48h - I will opening admit these are the womans range but I don't give a care in the world! They work and I think 100% they are better than any mens deodorant I've ever used. For my aftershave I'm using the Armani Diamonds for Men. I've used this for about 4 years now and love the smell.

soap and glory orangeasm and hand food

Depending on the time - as I said I'm rather rushed in the morning. I sometimes skip this step but if my skin is feeling terribly dry then I'll quickly lather some Soap & Glory Orangeasm on my legs and arms and anywhere else that needs it. If my hands are dry then I pop some Soap & Glory Hand Food on them. Normally I'd do this before I pop my clothes on.

mark hill beach babe sea salt wave spray and tresemme mousse and creme

For my hair I'm currently using the above 3 products. First I spray some Mark Hill Beach Babe Sea Salt Wave Spray in my hair and run my hands through my hair to get it worked in. I then get some TreSemme Mousse on my hands and coat my hair it in. Then using a comb/brush I quickly blow-dry my hair and I comb/brush my hair back so that it gives volume to my hair. Then using the TreSemme Texture Style Creme I style my hair how I like it.

origins ginzing energy boosting moisturiser

Once my hair is done I then move on to my face - I'm only using the one product at the moment. It's the Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturiser. I bought this in Debenhams a couple of weeks ago when it was on special and I'm in love with it. Firstly the smell ... it's like oranges and it's secondly it's similar to the Clinique Moisture Surge - it's a like a gel and not a heavy cream - so applying is super fast and easy.

04:50
Once I've done all of the above and cleaned my teeth, flossed and rinsed with mouthwash - it's normally about 04:50 and I have to leave for work. I get to work about 04:56 and that gives me enough time to make a cup of tea, clock in and get to my office for 05:00.

and ... that folks is my very quick morning routine. This is only my Monday - Friday routine and if I'm working - obviously if I'm on holiday or it's the weekend - then these steps are over several hours and not just an hour.

Let me know what you think and if you have a similar routine because you have work so early!


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Friday 12 June 2015

What I'm Watching on Netflix ...

Hey everyone :)

netflix logo

So I've been spending lots of my time scouring Netflix because most of the television programmes that I normally watch have finished so I wanted to share with you some of the shows I've started watching or have watched before that I think definitely need a recommendation.


Pretty Little Liars
If follow me on social media then you will know that I am crazy for PLL. The sixth season started last Tuesday and it was amazing! I won't go into any spoilers as I have a really bad habit of that.
It might put you off that you have to watch 5 seasons to catch up but its well worth it and I highly recommend that you do watch it!


Sense8
I saw this advertised on Twitter (I think?) and I watched the trailer and never thought anymore of it. I then thought I'd give the first episode a go and see what it was like and I'm currently on the fourth episode now and I'm loving it so far. I read on wikipedia that the 8 people the show centres around have not actually met each other yet and this is the way the writers want it. Interesting :)


Grace & Frankie
I started watching this one night as I wanted something on in the background that would keep me company while I ate and blogged and after a couple of episodes I found myself watching the show more than I was blogging. Two woman always competing and then they found out their husbands are gay and in love. So they unwillingly (at first) spend time together and do things together.


Made In Chelsea
My boyfriend hates me watching this show - I won't go into details as to why - but you can probably guess. I watched up to Season 4 a few months ago when I had nothing to watch. I then got busy so stopped watching and now that I again have nothing to watch - I found myself drawn back into the world of Chelsea. I just find it exciting and cringey! I'm currently on Season 5 now and there are lots of new characters ... I do miss older characters that are gone now - like Caggie and Millie :(


Orange in the New Black
I first started watching this series when it premiered on Netflix (as again I had nothing to watch) at the time. It's about a woman who goes to prison to serve 15 months for something she did several years back. I think she was unknowingly a drug mule for her ex-girlfriend. The show deals with Piper (the main character) and her life as she goes to prison and how it affects her friends and family. The show also shows flashbacks of her and other characters to show how they got to be in prison.

What have you been watching? Any of the above? I know lots of people are watching Pretty Little Liars at the moment! I can't wait for next week's episode!

Let me know in the comments below!



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Thursday 11 June 2015

MooseHead Products

Hey everyone :)

I was in Tesco a month or so ago ... I went for something to eat and somehow found myself in the cosmetic/body aisle. I saw they had some new hair products in the men's section so I thought I'd pick them up.

moosehead hair wax shoutjohn

The company is called 'MooseHead' and you can find them HERE on their website and on Facebook HERE.

The company was started about 10 years ago in Melbourne, Australia when they realised that there was no real product aimed/targeted towards the 'urban guy'.

MooseHead currently has 7 'hair' products available in 100g or 40g sizes:

- Defining Paste
- Hard Core Wax
- Shaping Dough
- Forming Wax
- Hard Wearing Fibre
- Gritty Styling Clay
- Grubby Putty

I managed to get my hands of 3 of them which you can see above.




Firstly we have the 'hard core wax' which is really strong and kept my hair up all day. It does also have a little shine to it too which I liked ... but not a greasy shine as that just puts me off ... I don't want people thinking my hair is greasy! The wax seems quite stiff when touched but it does soften once you get some on your hand.




Secondly we have 'grubby putty' - I love this wax ... firstly it smells of bubblegum - who doesn't love the smell of bubblegum? It's very soft and easy to apply. It also doesn't leave your hands sticky which is a huge plus in my books! This wax is more aimed at messy styles - like the bed-head look.




Thirdly 'hard wearing fibre' smells like lime and coconut - which I don't even think is in the ingredients but that is what I think I can smell. This wax is good for styling and shaping hair and providing long lasting hold. It's also easy to wash out.

Have you come across MooseHead? Have you tried any of their waxes, body products or facial products? Let me know in the comments.



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Wednesday 10 June 2015

May Favourites

Hey everyone :)

Hope you're well and having a good week so far ... This is quite a late post ... I really should have posted this last week but I was on a First Aid course and I didn't have time to write up the post and I didn't want to rush it.

So as you can guess from the title - this post is on my May Favourites (so last months) - I have done a YouTube video (which I'll link at the bottom) but as I've said before some of my readers read my blog and some prefer YT videos so I do both - so both audiences can see what I've been loving << Zoella should really trademark that quote 'what I've been loving'.

We're gonna jump straight in because I have lots this month (only because I stopped monthly favourites ages ago cos I ran out of favourites lol).


Origins GinZing Moisturiser 75ml (£25.00 - special price/limited time only)
Loving this ... I bought it a couple of weeks ago so not ready to give a full review because I want my skin to get used to it. Smells of oranges and wakes me up in the morning when I apply. You can find it HERE on Debenhams and I also did a 'first impressions post HERE.


Sure Deodorant - Shower Fresh & Bright Bouquet (£2.00 each)
I find that the price of men's deodorant is expensive and there always seems to be more deals/special prices on woman's deodorant and they smell nicer and last longer - which is great! I bought these two in Tesco on special so price may be different now.


Mark Hill Beach Babe Sea Salt Wave Spray  (£5.99)
I bought this a year or so ago used it once - didn't notice a difference (because my hair was really short) and left it in the back of my dresser. However my hair is much longer now and this gives it texture and 'waves' I suppose is what you would say. It also smells great and is a great pre-style (I think) as it makes your hair slightly damp and more manageable. I bought it from Boots for £5.99 - I believe it's on special at the moment for £2.99 though.


Smoothie Bag Mix (Strawberry, Banana & Pineapple) & (Pineapple & Mango) (£2.20 each)
These are a new product introduced by Tesco for the Summer and they are amazing! I can't praise them enough! They are a great idea and perfect for hot days! All you do is weigh out 80g (which is about a handful) and then 150ml of apple juice - wizz up and voila! You have a smoothie! They have two flavours out (pictured above) you can check them out on Tesco's website HERE and HERE for more detail. I have also done a short blog post which you can check out HERE for more information too.


VOSS Water Bottle (£2.99)
Someone at work had one of these bottles and I had saw them all over Instagram and I wanted one. I happened to be walking through the aisles in Asda and saw one on a shelf and picked it up. They just look so good. They are made of thick glass and have a plastic lid with a big opening to drink from. You can check out where you can get it from HERE. As far as I'm aware it's aware in still and sparkling.


Destiny: House of Wolves (Expansion II) (£39.99)
I've been playing Destiny since last September, they brought out their first expansion in December and their second was released about 3 weeks ago now. So I've been playing this non-stop and trying out the new missions and playing the new things they have added in. I already have done posts on Destiny which you can find HERE, I also did a post on their first expansion which is HERE and lastly my newest post is about their second expansion which you can check out HERE.


Canon Powershot G7X (£500)
I made the decision after weekly vlogging for about 14 weeks to change to daily vlogging - but I wanted a good quality camera and everyone was raving about this camera and other daily vloggers had started getting it so I decided to jump on that bandwagon. It is a bit pricey but I managed to get it on finance with very.co.uk and chose the 'take 3' option which means it's 0% APR and you divide by 3 and pay 3 monthly payments - so it's around £166ish a month then its paid off :) It's a great camera. You can check it out on Very HERE.

That's all my physical favourites for this month. I also wanted to let you know about two of my favourite YouTubers I've been loving this month :)

BZVLOGS - https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBZVlogs
Brad and Zoe are two Scottish vloggers that live in Glasgow (in Scotland ... obviously). I found their channel through another Scottish YouTuber 'BeautyCreep' who I mentioned in my Scottish Tag video/blog post - as I stole the questions from her video :P They're both very bubbly and happy people and their accents make me miss Scotland ... which is probably the first time in 3 1/2 years (since moving) that I've ever said that! They uploaded their first video on 22nd June last year so it will nearly be a year since they started vlogging! Go check them out and tell them I sent you :)

Hannah Maggs - https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlebeautyvlog
Hannah is married to Stef and they have a lovely little baby boy called Grayson (or Greyson - not sure?!) Until you watch one of their weekly vlogs - you can't appreciate them - the amount of time and effort they both put it - recording, choosing music, editing and whatever else ... they are AMAZING! I've said it before and I'll say it again - I could go on forever about them both! Every Sunday I've gotten into the habit of getting a drink, something to eat and perching on my bed ready for the 'release' of the video so I can sit down and chill for 30 minutes to watch their weekly vlog :)

That's it for this month guys! I think the last monthly favourites video I did was back in January which is why this one is so long because I've not done one in ages! As I said the link to the video I did for the same items is HERE. I'll embed it below too - check it out if you prefer a 'video' version rather than this long, long assed post!




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