3 apps I can't live without

Its 2017, and as much as we hate to admit it we are all addicted to our phones and rely on them for almost everything. Wether it's editing your photos, booking a taxi within seconds or learning a new language we use our phones for EVERYTHING! I do believe in having some down time where you should switch your phone off have night, get away from all social media and choose to read instead but I also believe we are incredibly lucky to have the technology we have to day and should really make the most of it. 

I thought it would be a great idea to share some apps I find incredibly helpful, some well known, others might be new to you that you will love:

1. PINTREST

This is a pretty popular app which many people use however I don't think people use it to the best of its ability. This app allows you to pin photos onto different boards from all different genres/categories for you to look back on. If you are a little OCD like me when it comes to mood boards you will adore this app. For me this app has been exceptionally helpful when I was volunteering in Africa and while doing my degree right now when I have had to come up with activity ideas, the educational sector of the app is full of inspiration to help you bring a little fun to the classroom. 

I also use this app for discovering hidden treasures while travelling which you won't find as easy through google or trip advisor ect. I pin the places I want to visit in each city so when I come to booking my trip I have a bucket list ready to tick off.

Lastly I love to use this app to pick up inspiration for my home, the app if full of interesting DIY ideas easy for everyone to do. The images of other peoples homes really inspired me to get my act together and make the most of my tiny, little flat. Here is a link to my Pinterest if you would like to gain some inspo from my boards! https://uk.pinterest.com/ForeverJessMay/ 

2. FREEPRINTS

This app has been a life saver for me and is possibly my favourite app from them all! This app basically lets your order 40 photos a month for free which you can pick straight form your phone photos or social media, the photos are then posted to your address and all you have to pay is for the postage which is really really cheap. Capturing memories and keeping ahold of them is so important to me, I love to print out all my photos and keep them in photo albums to look back on and show to family and friends. This used to cost me so much more as its very expensive to print out photos from shops so this app has probably saved me hundreds of pounds, I couldn't thank it enough. You also can redeem rewards through using the app and sharing it with others, when placing your order used my invite code to earn 5 bonus free prints per month : jnichol4

3. BEEN

This app is fairly new to me but I have fell in love with it and can't wait to have the chance to use it more. This app basically lets you highlight on a word map where you have been, for travel lovers like me this is perfect to see what parts of the world you have seen a lot of and what parts you really need to see. The app also tell you what percentage of the world you have seen and what percentage of each continent you have seen. To my surprise I have only seen 10%  of Europe and 3% of the world which is crazy, this app has made me determined to plan some more travelling trips and get that percentage as high as i possibly can!

Hopefully this post has been useful for you and will help you make the most of the thousands of apps out there just waiting for us to discover!

May Favourites

Hello guys!! I'm back!! This year is flying by before my eyes, as if it is June already and I have never been more ready for the summer. May has always been one of my favourite months ( and not just because its my birthday month). To me May always seems to be filled with such happiness and fun times, and this years May was really better than ever. 

My birthday is on the 1st of May which is always close to a bank holiday, this year it actually landed on the bank holiday which was a bonus! I decided to spend the Sunday night with my closest friends having a well deserved night out so of course I had to find the perfect birthday dress, I spent hours browsing online boutiques, until I finally found the dream dress from Oh Polly. The dress is a fake PVC material which I got in the colour baby pink but the nude colour is also BEAUTIFUL. The dress is something I would never usually go for, I own nothing like it but I thought I would step out of my comfort zone for the special night and luckily it worked out a dream. The dress fitted perfectly, it was so figure hugging for my shape which really showed off my best parts and hid the not so great parts haha. However through the night my dress did rip on my bum which was a bit of a nightmare and very embarrassing but with a little bit of nail glue and a handbag size sewing kit we saved it! Oh Polly were so lovely about it, they apologised for the faulty item and sent me a new one the next day, such a lovely brand. 

Oh Polly | £40

I don't think it would be possible to do a May favourites post without mentioning a birthday present. My lovely brother had seen be eyeing up a planner/dairy in Urban Outfitters for months which I just couldn't justify myself buying as it was quite pricey for what it is so he surprised me with it for my birthday. Now I have this planner I don't know how I used to live without it, it is an absolute life saver and totally worth the money. It has a beautiful pastel pink marble print cover and the pages inside are made for an organisation freak like me haha. I love using it to split my never ending to do list into what days and times I can complete each task, I received the planner in the middle of exam season so it worked a treat for organising revision and essay writing. 

Urban Outfitters | £16

My next favourite is something I had been meaning to read for so so long and I am so happy I have now finished it as I can honestly say it has changed my life. The book is You are a Badass by Jen Sincere, I don't want to say too much about this book as I am planning on doing a full length book review, however I will say the author is amazing, its such an easy read and everybody should give it a go! 

Amazon | £6.99

Now I have finished my first year of Uni I am a bit lost, not knowing what to do with myself now exams are over. I have decided to give myself a week or two of chill time which consists of binge watching Youtube while eating cookie dough ice-cream from the tub. The Youtuber I can't get enough of at the moment is Conan Grey, I found him not so long ago but since I have I just can't stop watching him, I'm either watching his videos or listening to his music on repeat! His music is so calming and the music videos, vlogs and chatty videos all have this vintage, creative feel to them which have really inspired me to create more. He is so different and inspiring, and his Lana Del Rey cover of Radio is unbelievable! 

Conan Grey

I could go on forever with favourites from May as there has been so many but these are the ones that have really stood out this month. Hope you have enjoyed this post, please comment if you would like to see more favourite posts in the future?

Love 
Jess x

Mothers Day Seaside Adventures

For Mother’s Day my family and I decided it would be a good idea to get away for the weekend to spend some time together. We found a cheap caravan park right by Cresswell Seaside which is only a 45 min drive from where I live yet I had never been. 

We headed in the afternoon on Friday, once we had all finished work/ uni so arrived with plenty of time to unpack and have tea before heading to the rather cringey club house for the kid’s entertainment (we promised my little brothers we would). It wasn't exactly the most fun night I have ever had but the twins definitely enjoyed it!

On the Saturday morning Jamie and I woke up bright and early to go for an explore, we were blessed with the first sunny weather we have had this year which put us in a great mood. Unfortunately, my Mam wasn't every well so spent the morning in the caravan while the Twins and their Dad went swimming.

Because it was such beautiful weather me and Jamie stuck to our plans and headed out at around 10am to find the beach which was actually only a few mins walk away. It was absolutely gorgeous, we started off by hunting through the rock pools finding many craps and little sea creatures. Jamie tried to show off running across the rocks which ended with him flat on his face and me standing over him saying "I told you so". We then took a long stroll across the full beach before heading back for some lunch and a little rest, who knew exploring would be so tiring?! 

In the afternoon we set off out again but this time in a different direction toward some farmer’s fields where we found a foot path through possibly the biggest crop field I have ever seen! I always find long walks are where the best contestations happen as your mind is not engrossed in technology, you and the person you are with can both give each other your full attention and focus on the here and now. While exploring we came across some huge abandoned ruins of what looked like it used to be a manor of some sort. Jamie persuaded me to be brave enough to climb through the bushes to investigate inside. What we found was pretty amazing, a lot of the inside of the abandoned building was still there, Jamie climbed up some steps that were beginning to rust away while I found many camp fires. We started to creep ourselves out thinking we could hear noises so left shortly afterward. 

As for Sunday we had planned to stop off at Dunstanburgh Castle for a long walk with the family for Mother’s Day, thankfully my Mam was fully much better by Sunday. This ended up being possibly the most beautiful walk I have ever been on in the UK; I would highly recommend it! The walk took us about an hour there and back which was perfect considering we had two 5-year-old with us, there as so much room for them to run around on the fields yet so much for them to see. We explored the rock pools and even spotted some seals far out at sea. We had to get back to Newcastle for 4pm or we would have stayed for hours, especially with is being so hot. 

All in all, the trip away was just what we all needed, some time to relax and to spend some quality time together. 

Black Friday Buys!

Black Friday is up there along side Christmas, Halloween and New Years, as one of my favourite times of year. Why wouldn't it be? I'm pretty sure it is every teenage girls dream.
Like most girls my age Friday was a very happy yet very sad day for me... I was in absolute sale heaven but also seemed to spend all of my life earnings leaving me once again, a broke Uni student (sad cries)

Usually I get too carried away in the sales and spend all of my money on loads of crap I don't really need just for the pure fact that it has a huge sale tag on it. But this year I refused to make that mistake again, I was not falling for it, NO, NO, NO! I went out with a plan. First I Created a wish list starting with the most expensive and most important things I need like Christmas presents and a new hoover. I then added to my wish list everything I have been really wanting for a while now such as high end makeup and statement pieces for my wardrobe.

A week before Black Friday I set off on a mission, a mission to find all the pieces I wanted before the sales started so I was fully prepared for the day. I couldn't be more happy that I decided to do this, it made the highly stressful day a lot less stressful. I did purchase a lot of Christmas presents which I can't show on this blog just yet incase my Friends and Family see them but here is a peak at the rest of my buys!

Ivy Park gym pants | Topshop | 50% off

Ivy Park sports bra | Toyshop | 50% off

Leather Skirt | Miss Selfridge | 30% off

Urban Decay naked skin weightless complete coverage concealer | Debenhams | 20% off

Urban Decay all nighter make-up setting Spray | Debenhams | 20% off

Date Night

So not too long ago I booked for Jamie (my boyfriend) and I to stay in a fancy hotel for the night. We just stayed in Newcastle, so we didn't travel anywhere but it was nice to have a Night away from the flat as we aren't fully finished decorating it, we wanted a night were we both could just relax and enjoy each others company.

It might come as a shock to people but I paid for the night, YEP I WAS THE ROMANTIC ONE FOR ONCE! Normally Jamie pays for all stuff like this as he feels it is the right thing to do being the man in the relationship, I think this is the sweetest thing in the world but it is defiantly not a crime for the girl to treat the boy every once in a while and for the boy to be fine with that.

The night was absolutely beautiful from start to end. We stayed at the Malmaison on Newcastle Quayside which was a perfect destination with so many bars and restaurants to choose from. However we decided to go for a long walk all the way along the quayside and up to the centre of Newcastle to try out Byron Burger as Jamie had never been before. I went for a Classic Byron Burger while Jamie went for the B-rex Burger which was absolutely massive, I would have never fitted it in my mouth hahaha! We also got sweet potato fries on the side which, my god they were unbelievable I swear. The meal filled us so much that were was no way we were going to fit in a desert so we took a slow walk back to the hotel passing all the bridges lit up, I wish I got a photo of them but my phone had died by this point (just typical). We stayed up late watching movies and chatting, we wanted to make the most out of the night as possible, the room was so stunning we didn't want to go to sleep!

As for my outfit I tried to keep it simple for date night, I decided to stick to timeless pieces you can't go wrong with. I put my H&M black skater dress with my Primark leather jacket, checked scarf and Garage black ankle boots which have a little bit of a higher heel to make it more dressy. Shoving on some red lippy (Mac lady danger) and I was ready to go!

Does The Secret Really Work? | Book Recommendation

Have any of you have heard of The Secret or as it's also often called, The Law Of Attraction?

Well 'The Secret' has been a huge part of my life for many years now and I can honestly say it has changed my life, and there is no reason it can't change yours too. The Secret first was introduced to me by my Mum in my first few teenage years which was a perfect time for me as it was when I probably needed it the most! From my gap year in South Africa to getting to own place with my boyfriend is all thanks to The Secret.  I bet by now you're thinking "what the hell are you going on about Jess??" but don't you worry, all will be explained...

The Secret is a booked wrote by Rhonda Byrne which has also been turned into a movie that I'm pretty sure you can access through youtube. It is all about changing your life around through gratitude and positive thinking. The theory behind the book is that whatever thoughts you process, you are sending out to the universe which will then manifest in your life. So basically positive thoughts on what you want in life will help you get it, negative thoughts will drive them things away from you. Sounds crazy I know, I though the same at first until I started testing it out and it really does work!

Here is an example. At the Start of 2016 when I returned from South Africa I sat down and had along think about what my next goals in life would be, at the top of the list was to move out with my boyfriend, Jamie. I knew at the time that and many more of my goals were not possible as I had no job and no money so I thought it would be a good idea to make a little book filled with what I wanted to keep myself motivated, a little bit like a dream board but just book form. This was a great idea and really fun to do but honestly I can say I didn't look back at the book for about six months but the kind of things I put in that book were constantly in my mind. Six months later I got the flat I wanted with Jamie, while moving into out flat I did a big clear out of all my belongings and came across the book. I had a little flick through and there right in front of my eyes was a picture of the mirror I had just bought! I had no idea I had bought the exact same mirror I had picked out months ago until I came across this photo in my book and to make things even better I got it for £40 instead of £260. BARGAIN!!

Yes, I know this could just be a coincidence but I do generally believe that it happened because I remained positive about getting my own place even through the hard times and always kept in the back of my mind the way I wanted it to look even if it wasn't possible in my circumstances at the time, I knew I could make it work somehow. This also happened with my Gap Year to South Africa which i had to raise £7000 for, this was an impossible goal for me at the time but I remained positive, followed the guide the secret had given me and I did it! Not only does it work, it make you feel a whole lot better about life no matter the situation you're in because it helps you keep your faith that things will get better.

I would highly recommend this book to anybody going through a hard time, finding themselves stuck in a rut. This book is definitely worth a read to brighten up your spirits and get yourself motivated again. 

Hope you liked this post guys, little different to what i usually do but just had to share this with you!

lots of love,

Jess xx 

NYX Cosmetics Halloween Makeup Demo

Firstly I would just like to make it clear that this is not a sponsored post, I was not asked to write a post about this but I loved my experience that much I though I would share it with you lovely people!


This Sunday I was lucky enough to get the changce to be a makeup model for NYX Cosmetics. I got to model a Harley Quinn, pop art inspired look which as you can imagine I was very, VERY excited about! I had the gorgeous Arrafa (@face.beauty) doing my makeup, she did such a great job, I couldn't believe how amazing the finished look was. I loved the whole look but the red and blue glitter under my eyes really did it for me. I also think the pop art inspiration really comes through on my lips and the sketching around brows and nose.

All the Products used were NYX. I will list them all below:

Face:
HD FOUNDATION IN 102
Mineral foundation stick 10
HD Loose banana powder
Pro highlight and contour pallet

Graphic Details :NYX GEL Liner
Two Timer Liner
Prismic shadows - Hot Red & Blue
Face and body glitter in Red and Blue
NYX Jumbo Pencil Black Bean
Liquid Suede in Kitten Heels

To top off the whole experience, as a thank you gift, NYX Cosmetics kindly gave me a little goody bag full of NYX lip products for me to try. I have swatched them for you to see, I absolutely love the colours and cant wait to try them out properly.  If you would like to see a review on them please comment below.