August favourites | stylenua

Hey everyone,

August has been a great month for new things, and I have a lot of lovely items that I haven’t been able to function without this month, so I’m going to share those with you now.

C L O T H E S:

This month I have been practically living in loose, oversized t-shirts. They’re so comfy and they work well with casual jeans, fancy skirts and such. I bought two recently in charity shops: one originally from H&M, and the other from J. Crew, one grey and one white. They were so inexpensive but completely worth it. I personally think charity shops are the best place to get loose, slouchy t-shirts, and you can sometimes find extremely quirky ones in the sale baskets!

M A K E U P:

This month was my Debs ball and also the month I got into university so to treat me, my mam bought me the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue tinted hydrating gel cream, among other things. Let me tell you, this product is fantastic. It gives light coverage but also an even glow that will diminish any imperfections you might have. I have loved wearing this for casual days, where I want to wear makeup but may not have time to apply a full face of foundation, concealer, etc.

H A I R:

A good few months ago I bought the Lullaby shampoo bar from Lush, and had been using it occasionally, but this month I used it every time I washed my hair because my beloved Edward Beale volumising shampoo ran out. The thing about shampoo bars is that they aren’t meant to be used in the same way as liquid shampoos. It takes practice to perfect how you wash your hair with them but when you get the hang of it, the result is super soft hair (which is always a plus).

M U S I C:

This month I have added so many catchy songs to my spotify playlists, including SK1N by Huntar, Close by Atu, and Colors by Halsey. These are just some of the amazing songs I’ve been listening to this month, and if you want to listen to more songs like these you can check out my playlists and follow me on spotify here.

B O O K S:

All of this month I have been reading and loving The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This book is one of those intense, gripping stories that completely takes over your life and leaves you wondering about it at two in the morning when you can’t sleep and you’re dying to find out what happens. I will be writing a full review of it once I finish it but for now just trust me when I say that it’s a brilliant book.

And that is it for my August favourites! I hope you may have found something interesting in this little accumulation and if you have loved something this month, let me know in the comments or let me know on any of my social medias:

twitter | tumblr | instagram | facebook | spotify

Much love,

JMG, stylenua.

Back to school advice | stylenua

Hey everyone,

I don’t know about you, but one of the most stressful times of my year is the back to school season. There is so much to be done, so much to be bought, and you can’t forget about digging those school books out from wherever you hid them all summer, just to put them back into a locker for another few terms. For most teenagers still in school, there are another few precious days before the early mornings come back to slap you in the face. I’m so thankful that I have another few weeks before that happens to me, but I’m almost certain that university will be as stressful to prepare for as school. With that in mind, I have come up with a sort of checklist-come-guide to the back to school “frenzy” so you can feel at least a bit more organised in this crazy few weeks.

Clothes:

If you’re as unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on how you look at it) as I was in Secondary school and you have to wear a uniform, then you already know what you’re going to be wearing every day. If you don’t wear a uniform or you’re going to uni, then my biggest piece of advice is to dress for comfort. Comfort doesn’t mean pyjamas and dressing gown, but it does mean keeping warm or cool depending on the temperatures, and not making things difficult for yourself by wearing uncomfortable or awkward shoes or something along those lines. A great outfit for classes would be loose jeans or cotton pants with maybe a t-shirt, a plaid shirt, a woollen jumper and flat shoes that are easy to walk in.

Hair:

Hair during the school year can be the easiest thing or the hardest thing in the world. If you have longer hair, I recommend ponytails, braids and half up- half down styles as much as possible, since it’s so much better to have your hair away from your face in a school environment. During the school year I always keep a can of dry shampoo at hand to keep my hair fresh, as I don’t wash it every day. This is actually a lot better for your hair and it saves time in the mornings or at night when you can be getting other things done. Don’t worry about straightening your hair for school, chances are you’ll be walking around, going out for your lunch or walking home after school and your hair will get abused by the wind so there’s not much point in styling it to perfection in the first place. Save the fancy hairstyles for a special occasion.

Skincare:

I know that for me, keeping a decent skincare routine during the school year can be difficult. Which is why I’ve done my best to keep it as simple as possible. To prevent breakouts I use a very basic cleanser - Aqueous cream - which helps to balance the pH of your skin. You should try to use a cleanser, toner and moisturiser morning and night, and if you can afford a good serum then I’d recommend using it at night just before moisturiser. If you have oily/combination skin then during the day you should wipe excess oil off your face with some tissue, because the oil build up on your face can also cause spots. Keeping your hands off your face is also extremely important for preventing breakouts, whether it’s picking at spots because you’re bored in class or holding your head in your hand while studying.

Makeup:

Now, I don’t encourage breaking rules, so if your school has a strict no makeup policy you should try as much as possible to stick to that, but if you do want to wear makeup in school I would stick to a simple “natural” look. The best products I have used in school have been BB creams and tinted moisturisers or powder makeup. They give the best finish and are also way lighter than liquid foundation and concealer. Another trick I learned a few years ago was to apply mascara by brushing the mascara wand on a lash comb and then applying the comb to my lashes. This gives the appearance of fuller lashes without the risk of clumps or very obvious layers of product. Paired with eyeliner on your upper waterline, this is the perfect eye makeup look that you can wear in school without looking like you’ve put a lot on.

Organisation:

Being organised is something that is so important for school. Lack of organisation can lead to feeling stressed, which doesn’t help when you have lots of homework and exams to prepare for, so this year, try to organise yourself even a small bit more than usual. To-do lists are a great way to stay organised, and they will help you to get things done on time as well. When you get a piece of homework that may not be due for a week, try to get it done as soon as possible so you don’t have to worry about it for the remaining time. If you have a school diary or homework diary, colour coding it is such a great way of keeping organised. Choose certain colours for written work, learning work, projects and so on. This definitely saved me a lot of stress during my last year of secondary school.

That’s all the advice I have for this back to school season, but if you have any other questions you can comment on this post, tweet me, or ask me on tumblr or facebook.

Much love,

JMG, stylenua.

Bare Minerals counter experience | stylenua

Hey everyone,

Yesterday was a very crazy day, from making decisions about my future to breaking in my new ankle boots, a lot happened, including a visit to the Bare Minerals counter in my local Debenhams. As someone with pretty sensitive skin, I have always liked the idea of extremely natural makeup and even though I had bought a previous BM set, I really hadn’t been using it because of the many stress-related breakouts I was experiencing. Yesterday provided me with a great insight into mineral makeup and the importance of keeping chemicals off your face.

This was all helped by the wonderful customer service I experienced, from the minute I approached the counter to the moment I left. Joyce - the makeup artist I interacted with - was such an incredibly talented and knowledgeable person that I felt as if I were talking to a friend about makeup. The advice she gave me was invaluable, and it didn’t just stop at makeup application. She also advised me about clearing up bad skin, using the least harsh products and the best products to use for my skin type.

In terms of the actual BM products: where do I begin? I honestly think I’m head over heels in love with everything BM has to offer. The mineral makeup really suits my skin and the way I like to wear makeup, which is just brilliant. It’s lightweight, but it still gives the perfect amount of coverage for me. The thing people often tell me about mineral makeup is that it doesn’t cover their acne or blemishes, or uneven skin. While that may seem to be the case, I think it depends on how you apply the product and what other chemicals you’re putting on your face. I am fully aware that my blemishes may be still visible through the BM makeup at first, but because I’m taking all necessary steps to clear up my skin, it doesn’t really bother me. With the mineral cover, my skin looks a whole lot more natural than with liquid foundation, and the coverage lasts so much longer. If you have combination/sensitive skin like I do, I wholeheartedly recommend you use the loose mineral foundation, even if you go to your local Debenhams and ask if you can simply try it out.

So finally, I encourage you to pay your nearest Bare Minerals counter a visit. Talk to the makeup artists there, don’t be afraid of asking them questions, and don’t dismiss their answers - they’re often seriously experienced. They can also show you the best way to apply BM makeup to suit your needs, and BM is not restricted to makeup! They also have a skincare range that includes so many brilliant natural ingredients, which are always better for your skin. And lastly, for anyone who is conscious of buying cruelty free makeup, BM do not test on animals, which is something I defintely rank highly in importance.

If you have tried Bare Minerals makeup, leave me a comment telling me what you thought of it, and if you try it in the future, let me know what you think of it on twitter, instagram, or facebook!

Much love,

JMG, stylenua.

Your perfect pair of jeans | stylenua

Hey everyone,

Yesterday was a good day for me, because I finally replaced my awful, worn out black jeans with a new pair (the RI Molly high rise jeans in black if you must know) and it got me thinking about just how much is involved in finding your perfect pair of jeans. I’m talking about the jeans that you wear constantly and find yourself pining for when they’re in the wash. The jeans that just go with everything you own, and the jeans that you always seem to be wearing when you get the most compliments about your look. They are not just a random pair of jeans, a lot of time and effort goes into choosing that renowned pair. If you haven’t got a pair of jeans like this or your current staple pair are heading for retirement and you don’t know how you’re going to replace them, keep reading because I’m about to share my tips for finding your perfect pair of jeans!

The first order of business is determining your body shape and finding which shops cater better to that body shape. For me, H&M and River Island design jeans that fit me better than, lets say, Topshop or Primark jeans. There is nothing bad about the jeans in either of those shops but they don’t suit my body’s natural shape and there is no point in wearing jeans that are tight around your thighs just so you can tell people they’re from a particular place. The easiest way to find out what shops suit your body is to go in and try on pairs of jeans, or to visit the shop’s website and find the measurements for their jeans to compare them to your own measurements. After that we move to step two: jean style.

What jean style suits you best? Are you a skinny jeans person, or are you more of a loose, slouchy jeans person? Rips or no rips? Classic blue denim or crazy colours? These are all questions you need to answer before you actually enter a shop. It will save you SO much time if you have a vague idea of what you’re looking for before you actually go looking for it. Consider your other clothes and what jean style suits them. Then it’s time to choose a pair in the shop and try them on.

In the dressing room there are a few things you need to do to test if these jeans are perfect. The first thing is making sure they are easy enough to put on. If you’re having serious trouble getting them over your thighs or past your knees, put them back and try another size or another style. You might even have to try a different shop. When you do find jeans that go on comfortably, you need to do a bit of wriggling around, to really make sure they’re comfortable. Do some dancing around, bend your knees, or anything that will get you moving to really test the flexibility of the jeans.

After that you should definitely look at the material and stitching on the jeans. It depends on what you’re looking for: for me, I want durable jeans, that won’t wear easily or rip after a short length of time. This suits me because I don’t have the money to buy a new pair of jeans every few months, so when I find a very strong pair of jeans that will last me a long time I will be investing in them. If you find good quality jeans, don’t be afraid to pay a little bit more for them - they will be worth it.

When you’ve done all of these things you should have an extremely comfortable pair of jeans that you will probably live in if you’re like me. Let me know where your favourite jeans are from, and how long you’ve had them, and I’ll talk to you soon!

Much love,

JMG, stylenua.