Printing From Your Phone | HP Social Media Snapshot App

Hey!

I know that I am no photographer and I could link you and redirect you to a good few friends who are amazing professional qualified photographers but when I saw this amazing app I instantly knew that I would have to tell someone about it as it seemed pretty cool so I thought that I would tell you guys!

The concept of the app is that you select photos from your favourite social media outlets to begin with. This could be that selfie from Instagram before the night out kicks off, it could be photos of the night out from Facebook, it could be anything really! You can also select images straight off your phone's camera roll! Once you have done that then you can add templates to the image and then you can print it.

Sadly, I don't have a printer but I did mess about with the app and honestly it is amazing. You can add templates such as Disney ones to your photo to ensure that they are very cute! It's an easy to use app and once you've sorted out signing into your social media accounts, you can touch and swipe and then print within a few minutes!

The only problem that I can see with this app is that you have to purchase the sticky photo paper to stick it to things. This means that will cost extra to do this but at the same time it does mean that you can stick your photos to things such as books to create a photo album, walls to create a photo wall, mugs to create personalisation and so forth so it's definitely up to you if you want them to be sticky or not.

If you want to learn more about the app then come and watch the HP Social Media Snapshot video to see a more in depth view of it. I'll also embed the video so you can watch it at the bottom of this post if you dont want 50 different tabs on your browser!

Do you use any photo apps? Let me know down below!

I hope that you have enjoyed this little post! I hope that you come back next time to read the next blog on Jamie Sowden!



Thanks!
Jamie x

This post is in collaboration with HP. I have used the app therefore all opinions, thoughts, ramblings and rants within this post are all my own. 

Lets Boost Male Body Confidence | Male Body Confidence Due To The Media

Hey,

This had to be done and this is probably going to be a bit ranty* so it might be best to go grab a drink (non-alcoholic or alcoholic, we don't judge) and get ready to read. (*Ranty means that it might not make much sense.)

I feel that a lot of people are going to read the title of this post and go 'you're only writing this as women go through this on a daily basis' when in fact I'm writing this because both sexes get an equal amount of shit and men don't really talk much about it for many reasons. This might be due to the stereotype that men have to not show their feelings and not discuss anything thats not overly masculine as they fear a lack of masculinity. Who knows because I definitely don't.

Everyone needs to talk about their body confidence no matter what age, gender, sexuality etc that you are. If you're feeling body confident then it's great to turn to your friends or whoever and be like, you know what? I actually feel great and I feel confident about my body. I'm not going to think about what people think and look amazing' and if you don't feel that confident then just talk to a friend and make sure they help you resolve why and help you via maybe complimenting you.

The media portrays men and women in such stereotypical and disappointing ways when it comes to the media. Just look at celebrities and models that are depicted in many print, TV and digital texts. They're airbrushed to hell with edited lighting. They get their makeup and hair done professionally on set to make them just pop within the light. (Yes, guys get makeup on them for things such as shoots.) Abs get more scuplted, things get thinner, things get taller such as limbs, things look more contoured. Everything can be perfected within the click of a trackpad. David Beckham doesn't look perfect all of the time, Kim Kardashian never always looks as good as she does on the cover of magazines.  Things happen so the audience of the media text go ohh and ahh and want to buy whatever is the main pull (this could be a magazine, a razor, anything.)

Men have the points of being up against male celebrities that look amazing via the above but they don't have to try and be like the above/what media perceives as 'the best' and they can just love themselves for who they are and rock it as much as they can. Men can have a beard to feel confident but at the same time they don't have to have a beard to feel confident about themselves and their body. Men can have thin or muscly arms to feel confident about themselves and their body. Men can be thin, average, slightly muscly, not muscly, have no abs, have a 2/4/6+ pack, slightly chubby, chubby or fat (before you start saying anything, yes plus size is a word but guess what it's fat that we have on our body) and feel confident in their own skin. They can wear anything they want such as a vest and shorts without feeling like they have something to be shameful of. They can be themselves and rock it and media needs to stop pushing this idea of the perfect person.

I know that women are pushing to get others of the same sex to feel confident in their own skin but I also think that guys need to do this more as well! I also think that guys need to give compliments to other guys when they can tell that their friends are not having a great day.

Join in the conversation about male confidence getting some loving as well as female confidence in the comments section below!

I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post and come back to read the next one!

Kind Regards,
Jamie x

Creating The Stereotypical English Summer Look | British Summer Inspired Jacamo Haul

Hey!

A while ago, Luke went into Jacamo and bought some clothes and I decided that I would finally have a look on Jacamo's website (the store that we went to was quite small so I thought it would be best to look online) and I decided to buy some clothes! I've always been a bit on the larger size so when I realised how many sizes Jacamo went up to, I was really thrilled! 

Myself and Michelle spent the day within Bradford taking shots of clothes for this post. We had such a fun day. Michelle took funny yet amazing shots of myself, we had fun window shopping and even saw two drunk people using inflatable toys in a little fountain. It was amazing!

The first thing that I bought from Jacamo was a plus sized mens hoodie. I don't have a lot of hoodies so I thought that it would be best to get one as I know that the British term for Summer generally means one day of sun and a months worth of rain. I got one which is basically a black hoodie with a zip detailing and two pockets. It fits the bill and is super comfy and for once it actually fits me without feeling a bit too snug. (I'll try and link everything in case you want to buy.) (This hoodie is priced at £20.)

I then decided to purchase a turtle shirt because well why not? I saw it whilst searching for shirts on the website and instantly fell in love. I love shirts, I love prints and I love turtles so I instantly love this shirt. I mean it was also a great time to purchase the shirt because Finding Dory has just came out so I'm guessing turtle print will be everywhere! I would definitely wear this on a night out! It was £20 which is great if you wear it a few times. I would wear this with a muted outfit so maybe some dark jeans and the hoodie or just the jeans so it can still speak but not clash with anything. The only problem that I do have is that the material is quite thin but otherwise its a great shirt! This shirt is £22.

I found thick checked shirts and I love thick checked shirts so I bought a thick checked shirt! Thick checked shirts are a great wardrobe staple as you can wear them draped over a tshirt to wear as instead of a jacket for when the weathers a bit nippy or you can wear on its own to give a smart casual look/lumberjack look. It's just a great piece to have in your wardrobe! This was £20 which is a great price for something so versatile!

If you have read the blog for a while then you will know that I love anything that is floral so I had to get something with a floral twist! (I think that anyone can never have too much floral clothing!) This floral top doesn't have bright colours such as reds and yellows but plays it subtle by being mainly black and blue which means you can wear it and not feel like youre the only one standing out. It also means that you can make floral a bit darker just like the nights within September. This top also has a pocket which is always great for convenience. This t-shirt was £16

Pink isn't just for Wednesdays, yknow?! I got this pink checked shirt because well you can never have too much pink and it is in right now for the summer as pink is a quite bright colour. I think this shirt would be great for something like a picnic or a BBQ due to the gingham check print on the shirt as it just screams quintessentially British to me. I love wearing this shirt on the one day out of the whole Summer when its warm! It is £18 on the site.  

Do you like any of the products that I bought from Jacamo? Let me know down below!

Thank you so much to Michelle for taking all of the photos that are featured within the post. Click on her name to see the rest of the shoot and click here to go to her website! Thanks for reading this post, I hope that you come back to read the next post and let me know if you would like me to do more fashion/haul posts within the future!

Thanks!
Jamie x 

Becoming Red Raw | My Experiences With FaceTox

Hey!

I was sent a box of FaceTox and I thought I would tell you all what happened with the product. It's going to a bit of a lengthy post so I'd probably make a drink before reading.

The wonderful guys over at FaceTox sent me a 7 day package. I decided that I was going to put it aside and use it in the buildup of going to the Joe Browns event as I wanted my skin to look great. (If you want to see what I got up to at the event then click here to read that post.)

It came round to the week commencing when I was going to use the face mask so I read the instructions and made up the face mask. In the box, you get a bowl, a spatula and enough of the two sachets to make up the face mask. I mixed the face mask up, applied it and left it on for the time that it said on the box. After this time, it had set on my face. It kind of felt like concrete but thats how it was meant to feel. I washed it off which took a while. After washing the mask off, my face felt wonderful.

On Day 2, I did the exact same things as the above and my face felt wonderful yet again. It felt fresh, clean and Facetox did everything that it said on the box such as getting rid of acne and making pores unclogged. My face felt cleansed and felt like it could breathe for the first time in ages. I was expecting great things for the rest of the week whilst using Facetox.

Day 3 arrived and this is when everything went downhill. I applied it like usual and left it on for the normal amount of time but there was more tingling that usual (it tingled quite a bit on the other two days so I didn't take much notice.) I washed it off and my face stung quite a bit. I read the FAQ's and they said that it might be red for a little amount of time but it should go away. I applied moisturisers and left it overnight and it was still stinging quite a bit and was red raw. I applied more and went to the Joe Browns event feeling a little bit unconfident but with Michelle cheering me on I didn't feel too bad.

I kept applying a good few moisturisers and washed daily with a Tea Tree wash as Tea Tree is antibacterial so it would sort itself out quickly. It took a week to completely calm down and heal. FaceTox said it was meant to be for sensitive skin which I thought meant that nothing weird or bad would happen with my skin.

If you do use FaceTox then I'd just be a tad bit careful and make sure that your skin is being okay with it. Sadly I can't really say go and buy it as it made my skin red raw for a while and has put me off recommending it to anyone that I know.

Have you had any bad skin experiences? Let me know!

I hope that you haven't minded this little ramble and that you come back next time to read the next post!

Thanks!
Jamie x

Strutting The Stuff Locally | Joe Browns A/W16 Launch With Michelle

Hey,

I got invited to a bloggers event hosted by the wonderful guys over at Joe Browns and I thought that I would tell you guys all about it. I brought Michelle along so all of the images that are featured in this post were all shot by Michelle. She also has a website where all of her photos (blogger events and non blogger events) are all stored, click here to go have a look!

We ended up in Leeds a tad bit too early like usual so we (myself, Luke and Michelle) ended up mooching around Leeds city centre which meant entering all the usual shops such as Lush (where I picked up some new shaving cream which I may review soon), The Body Shop (where I found out and played with the new face mask range that is coming out soon) and many other places.

We arrived at the Joe Browns HQ after an adventurous Uber trip and made our way through to the foyer of the warehouse. We said hi to the male staff member who greeted us at the door. We made our way up the stairs to the rest of the warehouse and was handed a glass of Prosecco. (A good night always starts with Prosecco, right?) Myself, Michelle and Luke then all said hi to Emily who invited us to the amazing event.

I popped Luke down for a minute and perused all of the clothes that were on show. I started with the male section because well I wanted to see how much of the range I would want and I was pleased as I wanted it all! I instantly saw a checked thick shirt which grabbed my attention because it looked amazing and also because a good chunk of my wardrobe is checked thick shirts. I also loved a shirt that was on display which had leaves printed all over it. It screamed AW because leaves are a good representation of Autumn. In addition to the shirts, I loved a sort of military inspired coat which looked great for when the weather gets cold!

I then wandered onto the shoes and they all looked amazing! I loved how they all looked quite versatile as shoes. I loved the pair that had a couple of designs going on them via having a bow and then a pop of red on the inside. They looked very Autumnal. I also loved the massive boots as they looked like they would come in quite handy! They do some amazing brogues and male shoes as well!

After a good look at all of the footwear, I moseyed onto the wonderful dresses that Joe Browns had on offer at the event. One of the items that were on the racks was a dress that had foxes printed all over which I feel is quite quintessentially British as foxes are associated with rummaging around within the Autumn nights! There were also a lovely dress which had a great floral print all over it. It might not seem very Autumn/Winter-y but it will brighten up those dark days!

We then went on a tour of the warehouse and found a few little quirky rooms. We all kept wandering and ended up in the studio where all the pictures get taken for things such as the website. Michelle loved it as she loves studios! We then ended up in a room and watched a short video about the Quirky Pair's where the public could try and find £1000 of Joe Browns vouchers in Leeds City Centre (sadly it will have been and gone by the time this post goes up/hopefully it will be going on when this post is published!)

Myself, Luke and Michelle wandered around a bit more and ended up on beanbags and many other things. We went back to where the clothes were, had a bit more of a natter and just had fun. Myself and Michelle also found spacehoppers because why the hell not. We then found Emily and said thank you and goodbye and headed back to the train station!

Have you loved the look of any of the clothes that have been featured in this post? Let me know down below in the comments section!

Thanks to Emily and the staff at Joe Browns for putting on an awesome event! Thanks to Michelle for coming along, taking a good few photos and for being an awesome person! I hope that you check out Joe Browns as they sell amazing clothes! I hope that you've enjoyed this blog post and I hope that you come back and read the next post!

Thanks!
Jamie x

House Of Fraser Knitwear Wishlist

Hey!

I know that it is early days but I thought that I would do a post all about early Autumnal clothing in the form of knitwear so here's some jumpers/cardigans that I've been lusting over before the chilly days and Pumpkin Spiced Latte's kick in...

The first clothing item that I am loving is this little number from Howick Sanford. I love it as I screams 'I want my pink jumper back!' I love that it has all the elements of an Fall inspired sweater with a nice bright twist! This cable knit sweater is a great clothing piece that can be layered over a nice white shirt to give a cute yet smart look.

Orange Is The New Black! This Orange Crew Neck Cable Jumper from Polo Ralph Lauren seems like it might have came straight from the inside of Litchfield but also looks like a great jumper to start the Autumn season off with as it slightly matches the fiery looking leaves that are turning brown. I would pair it with a dark brown sort of outfit so the jumper can speak for itself but also have that Autumn feel to it. I'd also get it in a size bigger than what you normally get just so you can have that baggy jumper experience for the Fall.

The next knitwear piece is one by TM Lewin. It's a Blue Plain Crew Neck Pull Over Jumper. I just love the colour and texture of this jumper and I could definitely see myself wearing this a lot during the colder months of the year! I think that it would work really well paired with either grey or anything pale. I think it could work with other hues of blue depending on the shades of the other blues.

The penultimate choice is this lovely item from Ted Baker. It's a lovely Space Dye Jumper! I love the inspiration from the Space Dye trend within this jumper and looks like it would go with almost anything! I'd definitely pair with a good pair of dark
skinny jeans!

*drum roll* The last knitwear item that I am lusting over is this beige cardigan from Marc O'Polo. This one is a lot steeper price wise compared to the others but it looks amazing. I love all of the detailing from the shawl neck collar all the way to the buttoning on this cardigan. Beige means that you can show everyone that black isn't the only colour in your wardrobe! I love how you could wear this instead of a coat for when its still a bit warm but a tad bit cold!

Have you liked any of the cardigans mentioned in this post? Let me know down below!

I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post and I hope that you come back and read the next one!

Thanks!
Jamie x

This post was in collaboration with House Of Fraser. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own and I have chosen five knitwear items that I personally love.

Pickling The Juices | Haywards Condiments

Hey!

I was sent a lot of amazing products from the guys over at Haywards Pickles so I thought that within todays post I would tell you guys what I got and a couple of things that you can incorporate them into.

The first item that I got sent was a jar of Gherkins. People either love or loathe Gherkins and I love them! I love the piquancy that they bring to anything and having a jar of them to add to anything makes me very happy. I would add these to either a salad to give it some pep or I would use them to make a homemade tartare sauce. I would maybe also use them like they do in the States and add the Gherkin on top of the Chicken in a Chicken Burger and add some of the liquor to keep it extra juicy.

The next jar that I got sent was Piccalilli. I haven't had this in ages! Piccalilli is chunky vegetables in a basically mustard sauce. It's one of those lip puckering condiments! You could enjoy this in sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs and many other things.

The next thing that was in the package was Pickled Beetroot. These bad boys contains lots of vitamins including Vitamin A, C, Folic Acid, Magnesium and many more. These little nuggets add a lively spark to anything that you put them with. This might be a nice salad, a nice rice dish and much much more.

The last product that I received was Pickled Onions. The quintessinal pub classic is renowned for being a great snack! Haywards do Silverskin Onions and Traditional Onions. They also range from Sweet and Mild to Hot and Spicy which means that there is always a jar of onions that suits everyone. I would slice them up and add them to a salad or maybe roast them off and add them with some other roasted vegetables to create a medley of roasted vegetables.

So that's everything that I received from Haywards and I have been enjoying them during the nice Summer weather.

Have you tried any of the above? Let me know down below!

Thanks to Haywards for sending out these amazing products! I hope that you have enjoyed this food inspired blog post and I hope that you come back and read my next blog post!

Thanks!
Jamie x