The Best Acne Treatment?

Hello, friends! Is it possible that I have found the ultimate, natural skin care regimen to get rid of acne in a matter of weeks? I just might've cracked the code!

For those of you who don't know, my birthday was on the 15th of last month. I was gifted some pretty wonderful things, but one of my favorite presents was a Michael Todd True Organics skin care set I got from my brother. From all of my blog posts and reviews, he must've gathered that I was a fan of the brand!

This is the Michael Todd True Organics Acne or Oily Skin Regimen. This particular bundle of products is designed to help unclog pores, heal blemishes, prevent acne and hydrate the skin. After only 3 weeks of using this regimen, 90% of my acne was already gone!

Personally, I find that there a few negatives in this collection. For example, I don't necessarily like the smell or feel of some of the products. Despite my dislikes about the regimen, the amazing results I've received has allowed me to overlook any of the negatives. I still absolutely swear by these products!

Today I'll be reviewing all 5 products in the collection. I've got a lot to get through, so I'm going to keep it to bullet points! So without further ado, I introduce to you, the best acne treatment ever.

Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser
- Smells of someone's house, a very strange smell to put on your face.
- Cleanses skin thoroughly and removes all makeup.
- Rich texture, takes a while to foam up.

Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub
- Wax beads offer a very gentle exfoliation.
- Jojoba has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Charcoal detoxes the skin.
- Leaves face feeling very smooth!

Kaolin Clay Detoxifying Facial Mask
- Very runny.
- Does not apply evenly.
- Takes an exceptionally long amount of time to dry (20 minutes).
- Has an extreme hot/cold burning sensation. I don't even have sensitive skin and it still makes my eyes water.
- Draws out toxins and unclogs pores.

Organic Lemon AHA + DMAE Toner
- Smells of lemons.
- Balances pH of skin.
- AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) and DMAE (Dimethylethanolamine) evens skin tone while firming and lifting the skin.

Antioxidant Carrot Multivitamin Serum
- Smells like vitamins, not very nice.
- Leaves skin feeling sticky and unmoisturized while looking very oily.
- Makes makeup harder to apply.

Despite some of the negatives, I would highly suggest that you invest in this set of products. It actually works, and you won't be able to find another high quality, effective skin care regimen without the prices being absolutely through the roof.

Click here to buy the set!

If you don't feel like you can fully commit to all 5 products, you can always buy the products individually!

Click here to visit the Michael Todd True Organics website. (They have a lot of other stuff!)

Thank you all for reading! I hope you have a lovely summer.
Until next time!
Jordan x

Summer Playlist 2015

Hello, my friends! My deepest apologies for the blogging radio silence during the month of May. So much has happened, but I haven't had any time to document it!

You might remember a post I made last autumn, called my Autumn Playlist 2014. If you didn't already guess, it was basically a post in which I created a playlist of songs that I was loving during the season and tracks that reminded me of autumn. Winter came and went without any new music discoveries, but since then, I've discovered a few amazing artists that I want to share with you all.

Like I said in my last Playlist post, I have quite an interesting taste in music. For some reason, a lot of the artists in this playlist happen to be young, British males with a knack for strange lyrics. What are the odds! I hope you like these songs, but if you don't, I apologize! Without further ado, here is my Summer Playlist of 2015. Enjoy!

Mess Is Mine- Vance Joy

Blame It On Me- George Ezra

Grow Old With Me- Tom Odell

Budapest- George Ezra

Long Way Down- Tom Odell

Best Fake Smile- James Bay

Talk- Kodaline

Barcelona- George Ezra

All Comes Down- Kodaline


To make things easier for you, I made a YouTube playlist of all the songs featured in this post. Click here to listen to it!

I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do. They are very special to me at this point in my life! Do you have a favourite song or artist at the moment? If so, let me know in the comments section below! I'd love to know what type of music you're into!

See you in my next post!
Jordan x

Cruelty Free Beauty and Brands to Stay Away From

Hello, you gorgeous people! As some of you may have read from a post I made back in December, I am determined to have a completely cruelty free lifestyle. I already have the diet down, so now it's time to transition from what I put inside of my body to what I put outside of my body.

As most of you may know, a lot of brands test their beauty products on animals before selling them to the public. Although this can be looked at as a benefit to humans, it is absolute torture for animals. I will not include any pictures in this blog post in fear of upsetting the readers, but if you're strong enough, I strongly urge you to search online for pictures of animal testing and you'll see just how horrible it is. It's worse than one would think, and the poor animals don't deserve that.

I was recently searching online for cruelty free brands and brands to stay away from, and as I was searching, I thought it might make an interesting blog post for some of you who are in the same situation as I am!

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Look out for these symbols on packagings! If the products have any of these symbols on their labels it means they're cruelty free! I would still check, even if you're 90% sure that the brand is cruelty free. This is because a lot of brands that've been known to be animal friendly have recently been taken off the cruelty free list due to their choice to start selling their products in China. The Chinese government requires all cosmetic products to be tested on animals before being sold to the public. 

Some brands may be listed more than once if they are guilty of testing on animals for multiple products. So without further ado, here are some of the brands that test on animals and the brands who are completely cruelty free!

Brands to Stay Away From

Drugstore Makeup

Almay

Cover Girl

Max Factor

Maybelline

Revlon

Rimmel

High End Makeup

Benefit

Bobbi Brown

Chanel
Dior

Estée Lauder

Lancôme

M.A.C.

Make Up For Ever

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)

Hair Products

Garnier

Pantene

Suave

TRESemmé

Nail Products

Essie

OPI

Sally Hansen

Oral Hygiene

Colgate

Crest

Skin Care

Aveeno

Bioré

Clinique

Gillette

Neutrogena

Olay

Origins

Perfume

Chanel
Dior

Jo Malone

Cruelty Free

Drugstore Makeup

E.L.F.

Jordana

NYX

High End Makeup

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Hourglass

Smashbox

Too Faced

Hair Products

Paul Mitchell

Skin Care

LUSH

Michael Todd True Organics

The Body Shop

Makeup Tools

Nanshy

Real Techniques

Sigma

Sonia Kashuk

Zoeva

I hope you've found this helpful if you're trying to transition your beauty product collection into completely cruelty free! The animals would thank you for it, and you'd have a much better conscience!

Until next time,
Jordan x

Being a Vegetarian

Hello, my lovely and loyal blog readers! Today I'm talking about a topic that is very near and dear to my heart.

As some of you may know, I am a vegetarian. I've been a vegetarian little over 3 years now, and I get A LOT of questions from people who are curious about my lifestyle and/or are interested in becoming vegetarian themselves. Today, I'm going to answer some of my FAQs about vegetarianism!

What is a Vegetarian?

People often get vegetarianism mistaken with veganism. A vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat. A vegan is someone who doesn't eat any animal products, including meat, dairy, gelatin, and sometimes honey. I am a vegetarian. I eat a mostly vegan diet, but I allow myself some cheese every once in a while! That's why I still consider myself a vegetarian. Eventually, I hope to go completely vegan.

Why Did You Become a Vegetarian?

There are 3 main reasons people become vegetarian. They could go meat free because of health reasons, moral reasons, or religious reasons. I personally went vegetarian for moral reasoning. Once I learned about how animals were treated before being slaughtered and eventually put on our plates, there was no way I was going back. To me, it's strange how we keep some animals as beloved household pets while eating others for dinner.

What Do You Eat?

Vegetarians eat the same things as everyone else, just not meat. Some vegetarians eat eggs (ovo vegetarians) and some eat fish (pescatarians). Being a vegetarian, you have to be on the lookout for foods that might sneakily (and surprisingly) contain animal products. For instance, I do not eat any kind of squishy, fruity, gummy snacks because they usually contain gelatin, which comes from boiled skin, bones, tendons and ligaments of animals. Gross, right? I also don't regularly consume dairy products. (That's more of a vegan thing.) Yes, I'll have the occasional heavy cream in my coffee or tea or cheese on my pizza, but I would never drink a straight up glass of cow's milk.

Where Do You Get Your Protein?

A lot of people have the misconception that meat is the only sufficient source of protein. This is completely false! Vegetarians get protein from nuts, nut milks, nut butters, seeds, beans, peas, leafy greens and meat substitutes like tofu.

How Does it Affect Your Health?
Since I've been vegetarian, my eyes are brighter, my skin is clearer, and I have a good amount of energy. I'm 5'7" and weigh at most 120lb. I'm almost certain that if I was a meat eater, I'd be a lot heavier. And not in a good way. Also, meat eaters seem to be a lot less 'regular' than vegetarians, so that's a plus for us veggies!

What Do You Order at Restaurants?

Ordering meals in restaurants sucks for vegetarians. What you order obviously depends on what you like, but I suggest avoiding dishes that include gravy, various soups, Parmesan cheese (which contains rennet, a.k.a. proteins from cow stomachs), tomato sauce (which MAY contain rennet depending on the brand) and any kind of wobbly, gelatinous dessert, unless it states on the menu that the dishes are vegetarian. Remember, if you're eyeing up a certain dish that happens to contain meat, you can always ask for no meat. This only works, though, if the meals are prepared from scratch and not made ahead of time, where the ingredients have already been mixed together and contaminated.

What Do You Eat When You Crave Meat?

I don't know if my experience is the same as all vegetarians, but I realized that the longer I go without meat, the less I crave it. That being said, if I ever find myself craving something savory that can't be satisfied from fruits or vegetables, I resort to meat substitutes like tofu or veggie burgers. They might not always be spot on with their mimicry, but they've managed to satisfy every meat craving I've ever had! My favorite line of vegetarian products is MorningStar Farms. They have a HUGE variety of veggie burgers, breakfast foods, and even pizza! They're delicious. (The black bean burgers in particular!)

How Hard is It?
Honestly, staying away from meat is only 5% of the struggle. The other 95% of the struggle - especially if you live in a small town and/or are surrounded by close-minded people - comes from the constant criticism from your peers, figuring out what you can eat in restaurants, constantly being around meat eaters and constantly having to explain your lifestyle choice to people who think you're insane. There will be temptations and tight situations inevitably some mean comments. That's why in order to be a vegetarian, you need to have incredible will power and a thick, thick skin. Once you get past that, it's easy as pie! Especially when you know it's for a good cause.

Being a vegetarian has made me a much stronger person. I no longer crave acceptance from people, and I no longer have trouble taking the road less traveled when everyone else is doing something completely different.

Speaking from my experience on both sides, life is better as a vegetarian. You look better, you feel better, and you live with a clean conscience. What more could you want?!

I hope this has been an interesting insight into the life of a vegetarian! If you were thinking of becoming vegetarian yourself, I hope this has helped you make your final decision! If I didn't answer all of your questions, leave them in the comments section and I'll make sure to answer them!

Catch you on the flip side,
Jordan x

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash Review

Hello, lovely people! I recently made a very exciting purchase that I want to share with you.

This is The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash. (What a mouthful!) I've heard so many good things about The Body Shop's products, and the Tea Tree line in particular. I was extremely excited when I saw this in Ulta, especially since The Body Shop brand is based in the UK and it's not very easy to get in the US!

The bottom half of the text is in French, which I thought was pretty cool.

The science behind tea tree oil is that it's proven to be antibacterial. Since most acne is caused by bacteria, tea tree oil helps to fight against it!

On The Body Shop's website, they claim the face wash helps remove impurities and excess oil without over-drying your skin, and I 100% agree with that statement. I use this cleanser everyday with my Clarisonic. It foams up just the right amount (not too much, not too little) and doesn't dry out your skin at all!

As far as the cleanser actually works, I really think it lives up to its name. I started using this about two weeks ago and since then, I've noticed less and less acne! I still have a few spots, but nothing compared to how my skin was before. I'm not sure if it's the actual face wash that's getting rid of my spots or the act of washing my face on a daily basis, but whatever it is, it's working! I'd still repurchase it.

Click here for the US purchase link!
I'm afraid I couldn't find a purchase link for people in the UK, but The Body Shop is a UK brand so I'm sure you could find it much easier than us in the US!

That's it for today! I hope you are having a wonderful March, or any other month!

See you in a jiffy,
Jordan x

The Mansion Theory

Hello, everyone! Today I'm going to share with you something that I've never told anyone before.

For years and years, I've done this silly thing where I involuntarily imagine I'm filthy rich and live in a glorious mansion. Somehow, I've become a famous celebrity who's adored my millions and loathed by others! In this beautiful, imaginary world, I'm pretty much Beyoncé.

Anyone of my choosing is allowed to live with me in this extraordinary mansion. There are countless rooms, and enough space to fit a whole village if I'd like! When I think of this mansion, I start think of who I'd let live with me. After all, I am a 'celebrity'! I can't have just anyone residing in my rooms!

I start by going through the people around me, usually at school or during social gatherings. I look at each individual and think about the way they act. Are they nice? Do they treat me like I'm worth something? Would they only want to be a part of my life if I was actually 'rich and famous'? Do they have a good heart?

Sometimes, the answers don't always line up. When you put yourself in the position of a 'celebrity', you begin to realize that a lot of the people you associate yourself with aren't really worthy of hanging out with you. Some people might take your relationship for granted or not bother to notice how great you are 'til you're in the spotlight. It's harder to tell when you're 'just you', but when you finally (figuratively) have something people want to be a part of, they can be a totally different person.

It may sound arrogant and cocky, but that's because a lot of people don't understand the concept of self-worth. If your friends don't acknowledge you and treat you the way you should be now, they sure as heck wouldn't deserve to live in your mansion when you become a well-known celebrity!

You are worth something! Fill your life ONLY with people you'd let reside in your billion-dollar mansion. Don't be the backup plan, and don't ever doubt how special and important you are, even if you're not a celebrity.

The people in the mansion are the people closest to your heart, so choose wisely!

Until next time,

Jordan x

Comfort Food

Hello, everyone! In light of the fastly approaching holiday, today's blog post is all about comfort food. There comes a time in everyone's lives where the situation you're in is so depressing, saddening or angering that the only possible cure for the bad mood is good food. For all of you Singletons out there, Valentine's Day might be that holiday!

Though comfort food is usually associated with a girl curled up on the couch, crying into a tub of ice cream, that doesn't mean it has to be associated with bad feelings! Comfort food can also be a celebratory reward, as a lot of things in this post were for me. Some of these delicious items I'd make when I'm feeling happy, poorly, and others I'd make when I'm feeling angry or nervous. My point is, you could eat these foods at any time for any reason. So whether you're getting together with your friends to celebrate your singleness or cry over it, these simple (yet delicious) dishes apply to everyone!

Usually comfort foods aren't the healthiest of options, and mine in particular tend to be on the warm, carby, filling side. I hope you're okay with that! So without further ado, here are a few of my favourite comfort foods.

Starting off with the ultimate comfort food(s), this is scrambled eggs on a bagel with a cup of tea. (The cup of tea is optional, but I'd rank it as another one of my favourite comfort 'foods'!)

I've been eating these scrambled egg bagels since I was a kid, and they really are delicious. All it takes is 2 to 3 scrambled eggs, salt and pepper, a toasted, buttered bagel (or English muffin) and voila! I like to put ketchup on mine. You could also put some cheese in there if you'd like!

Could it really be Valentine's Day without chocolate? Even if you don't have a valentine this year, go out and treat yourself to some fancy shmancy, expensive chocolate. You deserve it!

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When people think of comfort food - at least when I think of comfort food - most of us picture cheesy, gooey carbohydrates. What better answer to your prayers than a mac and cheese bake! I'm sure you'd be able to find a bajillion recipes online.

Another one of my favourite egg-themed comfort foods is deviled eggs. Odd, right?!

Earlier last year, I had a hankering for deviled eggs. I had never tried them before, but I'd seen them everywhere. I quick went online to find a recipe and it turns out, I love them!

 Click here to see the recipe I used! It takes a little time, but it's totally worth it.

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And finally, the mother of all comfort foods, ice cream. I think this goes without saying! Whether it's chocolate, vanilla, or cookies 'n' cream, ice cream always has your back.

Happy Valentine's Day! Remember, you don't need a valentine to celebrate it. The 14th of February is a day to celebrate all relationships!

See you next time,
Jordan x

My Timeless Loves

Hello, lovely people! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've just finished semester exams and studying took up most of my time! I hope you're all doing well and had a wonderful start to the new year!

Today I'm going to tell you about some things I've been loving. This isn't a monthly or seasonal favourites, as some of the stuff I've loved for over a year now. The reasoning behind the name 'My Timeless Loves' is that I've instantly fallen in love with everything in this post. In fact, I love them so much that I know I'll be using/watching/wearing them forever. They're timeless!

Unlike my usual favourites posts, these timeless loves don't just limit themselves to food and beauty products; they come in the form of people, apps, quotes and everything in between! I've arranged them in categories so it's easier to follow along. Anywho, I now present to you some of my favourite things!

Beauty/Skin Care

Previously featured in my Spring/Summer Favourites, these are some of the bajillions of products from Michael Todd True Organics. I swear by this brand! All of their products are made of natural, organic ingredients, and they have something for everybody. The products in this picture aren't necessarily my favourites (I couldn't possibly choose that), they're just the ones I have at the moment!

This is the Revlon Colorbust Matte Balm. As with many things in this post, the matte balms have been around for ages but I've only just got around to trying one!

I bought it in the shade Sultry.

It reminds me of a crayon!

I've been looking for a browny neutral lip colour for a long time now, and I've finally found it! It looks great in daylight and with flash. When you take a picture with flash it looks a bit fuchsia, but I love it either way!

To go along with my favourite skin care products, this is the Clarisonic Mia! You've probably heard of the Clarisonic before but if not, the Clarisonic is a cleansing brush for your face. It cleanses a bajillion times better than your fingers! The Mia, from what I understand, is a mini version of the Clarisonic. It seems quite normal size to me though!

You can either put your cleanser on your face or directly on the brush. After that, all you have to do is press a button to turn it on! The black bristles and inward are on a platform that rotates as you move it in a circular motion. All of the bristles vibrate for an even deeper cleanse. It automatically turns off after a minute to make sure you don't over exfoliate!

This is one of the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters. I actually wrote a blog post on this! I bought one back in the summer and loved it so much that I had to go back and buy another!

Learning from my mistakes last time, I stayed away from the vibrant colors and went for something more subtle. I chose the shade 050, Berry Smoothie.

It's hard to see in the picture, but the lip butter has a little bit of shimmer to it. I wasn't too excited when I saw that, but you don't even notice it when it's on!

It's a lot more sheer than I was anticipating, but that's totally fine. I think this would be perfect if you attend a school that doesn't allow much makeup. It looks completely natural and I'm sure you'd get away with it! This particular lip butter isn't my favourite of the collection, I just like the lip butters in general.

Stuff For Your Hands

Of course I had to include Tanya Burr's nail polish in my timeless loves! Not only do I love her, but I love this product. The color is great and the drying time is great. I wish I would've gotten more colours!

I've been looking for a matte nail polish for absolutely ages! I wasn't sure what colour I wanted to go for, so when I was in the shops and saw this matte top coat, I thought it was brilliant! Now I can make any nail polish matte, thanks to the Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat.

The only iffy thing I have to say about this top coat is that the matteness of it wears off a little as time goes on. I don't know if it's because I touch my nails a lot or whether it happens to everyone! It still stays smatte though.

Next of my timeless loves is this ring I got from Walmart. Weird, right?! It was nearly 11 dollars, but I think it's worth the money! I'm not really sure how you'd describe this, but it's a white, rectangular gem stone surrounded buy little green, silver and 'diamond' embellishments.

Papery Things

On a recent trip to Barnes and Noble, I was on a quest to find some kind of stationery, journally thing. I was running low on time and was torn between two journals that I liked, but didn't love. At the last minute, I spotted the most gorgeous journal I ever did see.

Unlike normal journals, the lines on the paper are much lighter and less noticeable. You can still see them, but they're just not 'in your face'. I love the thinner lines because it makes your writing look effortlessly aligned and elegant.

My original mission in Barnes and Noble was to find this! The Pointless Book, by Alfie Deyes! Alfie was the first YouTuber that I started regularly watching. Now 3 years later, he has his own book! This isn't just any book though, and you don't have to know who Alfie is to love it!

Alfie's book is composed of a series of challenges, activities...

And even a few recipes!

It's also an interactive journal, meaning there's a LOT of writing (and drawing) involved on the reader's part. I absolutely love it!

Storage/Organization

Something a little more random that I've fallen in love with is makeup storage/organization. Not any particular storage set, just makeup storage in general! Before I got this for Christmas, I had everything tucked away in the little white drawers you can see on the far right. I love this because all of my makeup and brushes are organized and where I can see 'em! Plus, I think it looks kinda cool.

Kind of along the lines of storage, I have this gorgeous tote bag from Jack Wills! It's just a regular tote bag, but it's the design that makes it so much cooler. You can fit a crap load of stuff in there as well! I usually use this bag when I'm spending the night at a friend's house. I can sufficiently fit an outfit, some slippers, my laptop and a few extra bits and bobs. What more do you need?!

I cannot express to you how much I love this pattern. It's navy blue with tiny red flowers and mustardy brown accents. It's just freakin' lovely!

People

These are the Fletchers; Carrie, Tom, and Giovanna. Carrie (left) is the sister of Tom (middle) who is married to Giovanna (right). They are all YouTubers (amongst other things) that I started watching late last year and instantly fell in love with!

Carrie Hope Fletcher
Carrie is the most wonderful, intelligent, inspirational person I've ever come across. I've seen her face floating around in my 'What to Watch' page for nearly a year now but never bothered to give her a click. What a fool I was! Carrie makes the kind of videos that leave you feeling smarter and happier. I want to have a little cry every time I watch one of her videos, purely because of her sheer intelligence. She makes you think about things in a way you've never thought of before, and I always leave her videos craving a cup of tea. Plus, she has one of the best voices I've ever heard. She's YouTuber, blogger, book writer, musician and actress who's starred in productions such as Marry Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, War of the Worlds, and currently, Les Miserables! She's an extremely talented girl, and I wish I could be her best friend/sister/wife.

Tom Fletcher
If you live in the UK, you might recognize Tom from the brilliant, award winning band, McFly. I was completely shocked when I found out he was Carrie's brother, let alone that he had a YouTube channel of his own! I found Tom around Christmas time when all of the YouTubers were doing this thing called Vlogmas, where you vlog every day in December up until Christmas. At that point in time, Tom was touring and doing television appearances with his new superband, McBusted. A lot of his vlogs acted as a 'behind the scenes' look into the lives of the UK's most exciting rock/pop/alternative band. Along with some vlogs here and there, Tom likes to make sit-down videos and chat about stuff that matters to him. In fact, Tom, Carrie and his wife, Giovanna, all make YouTube videos dedicated to each other once a week, called 'Dear Tom, Dear Carrie, Dear Gi'! Tom is as rock and roll as a nerdy dad can be. And you'd be surprised!

Giovanna Fletcher
Giovanna, or 'Gi', is the magnificent wife of Tom. She started her YouTube channel a little while after Tom started his YouTube channel, who started his channel after seeing how much fun Carrie was having! Gi is the author of 3 (almost 4!) books and has a gorgeous, lovable personality. She is a mother to her and Tom's 10 month old baby, Buzz, and likes to make videos on book writing, being a mom and just how much she loves Nutella! I absolutely love Giovanna, she's such an overall, great woman.

App(s)

I've been on Instagram for nearly 4 years now, and it never gets old! It's by far my favourite app of all time, and I cant imagine anything topping it.

Music

Believe it or not, these goofs make some of the best music I've ever heard! This is the brilliant supergroup, McBusted. They're called a supergroup because they were originally two different bands formed in the early 2000s. James (top row, middle) and Matt (bottom row, middle) were originally in the rock pop band Busted, which ended back in 2005. In 2013, 2 of the 3 guys from Busted joined with Dougie, Tom, Danny and Harry (a.k.a. McFly) to join what is now the biggest band in the UK. And thus, the supergroup was formed!

On my phone, McBusted is under the category of pop. I'm not sure if I agree with that! I'd say they're more alternative rock with a bit of modern 'pop' sounds. I absolutely love it. As soon as I heard this album, I started looking for more of their music and came across all of McFly's old albums. They're equally as fantastic! Click here to listen to McBusted's full album on YouTube, then buy it for yourself!

Quotes

Those are all of my timeless loves for now! Maybe I'll make another post sometime in the future in case I come across a few more forever favourites.

Until then, have a wonderful new year!
Jordan x