July favourites | stylenua

Hey everyone,

I hope you’re having a great day. Since it’s the end of the month I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been loving throughout July.

C L O T H E S

Something I never thought I would wear was collared shirts. I hated them in school and I never thought they were particularly stylish until recently, and I have been wearing the ones I have as much as possible, as well as eyeing up more in various shops, such as asos and H&M. I just make sure I pair the shirt with something more casual so I don’t look too much like a business professional.

M A K E U P

Because I’ve been wearing minimal makeup recently, the only thing I’ve actually concentrated on is my eyebrows. And while I really need to get them threaded and tinted, I’ve been surviving with the Superdrug B. defined eyebrow kit. It’s my current favourite out of my entire makeup collections too.

H A I R

As some of you may have seen, I dyed my hair pink a few weeks ago. To get this pastel colour I used Bleach London’s hair colour in the big pink and diluted it with conditioner. The dye’s colour looked really alarming while it was on my hair but when I washed it out, it was a nice pastel shade that has of course faded even more from washing.

M U S I C

With the departure of Lin Manuel Miranda from the musical Hamilton, I’ve been listening to the original broadway cast soundtrack almost non stop. Aside from that, however, I have been getting back into some of The Smiths’ music. It’s wonderful for relaxed evenings.

B O O K S

I’m once again attempting to read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which I honestly want to finish but never seem to. I’ve also been reading Carol Ann Duffy’s The World’s Wife, which contains some of my new favourite poems. I highly recommend both.

That’s about everything I’ve been enjoying this month, which doesn’t seem like a lot but has certainly felt like a lot to me!

Much love,

Jess xx

My daily makeup | stylenua

Hey everyone,

So this morning before I went to work, I decided to film a little video of my daily makeup. I know I have done a video on my channel before for an everyday makeup routine, but it has changed quite a bit since then, mostly because I don’t like a lot of product on my skin and don’t like a high maintenance makeup routine.

The products I used in this look are:

• Maybelline Brow Drama in medium brown
• B. Defined eyebrow kit (Superdrug) in dark
• New York Colour 7” pencil liner in black
• Rimmel London Wonder’full argan oil mascara in black
• Wet n’ Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain in Caffeine Fix

I don’t use any foundation or concealer as my skin has been quite clear recently. However, if I have a breakout, I will usually use the Bare Minerals original foundation to cover it.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Much love,

Jess xx

Travel style tips | stylenua

Hey everyone,

Something I have experienced quite a lot is travelling, whether it be from one parent’s house to another, to visit friends in different towns, or to travel home from university. It can be extremely difficult to look stylish while carrying luggage or any bags to and fro.

The main thing I try to keep to is not bringing too much with me. I am a known over-packer, but I do try my best to only bring the bare minimum. If I have to bring a bigger suitcase or bag with me to fit what I want to bring, I will, but I usually try to only have a backpack and a handbag with me. If you are taking public transport to travel, like I do most of the time, then you may prefer a wheeled suitcase over a backpack, but both backpacks and suitcases can be found in beautiful designs from Penneys to TK Maxx to Urban Outfitters and beyond.

The next thing I’ve learned over a number of journeys is that layers are important but you don’t have to overcompensate. Of course you should bring a jacket or a raincoat if the weather isn’t clear, but be aware that the bus/ coach/ train you are travelling on may not have air conditioning or heating, depending on the weather. As I live in Ireland, the weather can be quite unpredictable but you can guarantee that rain is never far away. The majority of the year, we do experience colder weather too, so layers can be really helpful here. Just be sure not to wear too many unless you have room to store them away once you take them off. A blouse or t-shirt under a jumper or blazer is a perfect layering method for travelling, and if you’re still cold, you can always use a scarf to both change up your outfit and keep you warm.

There’s definitely something comforting about a pair of shoes you can walk all day in and not have sore feet. Flat or low-heeled shoes are by far the best for travelling because the journey will be stressful enough without pain in every step you take. My favourite shoes for travelling are my black ankle boots or any pair of runners/trainers I have, like my black Nike roshe ones. I sincerely applaud anyone who can wear heels while travelling long distances, as it’s something I’ve never been able to do. Comfort should always come first!

My last point is less to do with style, but more to do with what I keep in my handbag to be prepared for many situations while travelling. My must haves in case of emergency are: a tester tub from lush with a supply of their Dream Cream moisturiser, lip balm (I use The little Cherry Red tube from Superdrug), a handbag sized perfume like this one, headphones, chewing gum or mints, a little notebook, and my phone charger. You never know when you’ll need any of these, and if you want to guard against any possible wardrobe malfunctions, a packet of wipes and a sewing kit would come in very handy too.

I hope this has helped you in your travel style or travel organisation, it certainly helped mine. Until next time my friends,

Much love,

Jess | stylenua

Work tips + what I've learned from my job | stylenua

Hey everyone,

Today I wanted to talk about jobs and working. For many of you, this will be a familiar topic but for some, you're in your first job or looking for work. I'm currently in my first job, working in retail, and I wanted to share some things I have noticed and learned along the way.

The first thing is to act confident. You don't have to actually feel confident, just portray it to whoever you come in contact with at work. This is especially important in sales jobs and hospitality. You don't want people to try to take advantage of your shyness or lack of confidence in your work, so fake that confidence until it actually comes, which it will, with time.

Secondly, don't be afraid to ask questions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking someone in your workplace for help or advice, in fact it's much better than trying to manage yourself if you have difficulty with a task. The best way to improve in a job is to listen to colleagues' advice and learn from them. That said, though, another way to learn is to make mistakes. We all make them, because we are human, but as long as you only make a mistake once, there's nothing wrong with it.

The third thing I have learned is how to interact with the customers where I work. They are looking for a particular attitude and product and so I need to work with that and help them to get the most from my interaction with them. Whether you're working in a clothing store or a corner shop, your customers expect a certain type of sales assistant. The same goes for working in cafes or restaurants, your customer expects a certain type of interaction. It may take a while to figure it out, but when you do, it's worth it, as customers feel instantly more comfortable, which makes your job easier too.

And lastly, you may be working in a place where you're bored or unsatisfied, but try to do something in work every day that you can be proud of. A sense of accomplishment is the best thing to feel, especially after a long day's work. I'll leave you with a piece of advice given to me when I started working: never sit still, always find something to do, and you won't be bored.

Much love,

Jess | stylenua

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Updated skincare routine | stylenua

Hey everyone,

As you all know, I have had many issues with my skin in the past, but my acne is clearing up gradually at the moment and I would like to share with you the products I use on a daily and weekly basis. I have been using some of these products for a while now, and have only recently tried others but all seem to be working well with my skin. None of these products are high maintenance or extremely expensive either, because I haven’t the time or money for that.

As a cleanser, I go between two: the Lush ‘Angels on Bare Skin’ cleanser, and the Sukin oil-balancing gel cleanser with bamboo and charcoal. Both cleansers are brilliant for sensitive skin like mine, and I have had very little trouble with this Lush cleanser, compared to my experience with Lush’s ‘Herbalism’ cleanser which was too harsh on my skin. I try to use the gel cleanser as much as possible throughout the week, and always in the mornings. The Lush cleanser is better for night time cleansing as it gives a more exfoliating cleanse than the gel. I would usually use the Lush cleanser three nights a week, or two if my skin is feeling extra sensitive.

I don’t use a toner, but I do use a coconut water face mist from Organik Botanik. It has lavender extract in it, too, which I think is an important part of my skincare routine. I spray this on my face after cleansing just to hydrate my skin a little more.

I then follow with Superdrug’s vitamin E serum, which I have been using for months now. It doesn’t irritate my skin at all and doesn’t have a fragrance that’s too strong either. I use this morning and night, although I used to only use serum at night.

I then use Superdrug’s Simply Pure sensitive skin moisturiser, another product I’ve been using for a few months. I like this moisturiser as it’s light enough not to get greasy but can still keep my skin from tightening and getting dry.

Aside from these daily products I have been trying to use more face masks. I have the Superdrug Aloe Vera clay mask and various sheet masks which I use around once a week, and then I have gel under eye patches which I am trying to use twice a week.

I should also add that I haven’t been using any face makeup, no foundation, tinted moisturiser, bb cream, concealer, or powder. The only makeup I have been using is eyebrow powder and gel, eyeliner, mascara, and lip crayons. This has also helped my skin to clear up immensely. If you do want to continue wearing face makeup, however, make sure your products are in date and your brushes are clean, and always take off your makeup before you go to bed, no matter how late it is. Your skin will thank you!

Much love,

Jess, stylenua

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June favourites '16 | stylenua

Hey everyone,

It’s the beginning of a new month so I have decided to reflect on what I tried and loved during the month of June. I hope you find something of interest from this little collection of things, enjoy!

C L O T H E S

This month I wore a lot of t-shirts and jeans, so I practically lived in Penney’s/ Primark v-neck t-shirts from their ‘Cedarwood Estate’ line. My personal favourite colours are white, grey, black and pale blue. I also bought a new pair of ankle boots at the start of the month, and although they aren’t chelsea boots (my all time favourite), they are still brilliant and so reliable. Check out TK Maxx for some great prices on shoes at the moment.

M A K E U P

I haven’t worn a lot of makeup this month, as my skin is improving and I want to keep it clear. I did, however, buy a Wet ‘n Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain in the shade Caffeine Fix and later in the shade Red-dy or Not. I would highly recommend these lip stains, I constantly have one in my handbag and I haven’t used any of my lipsticks since buying them! They may not last as long as a longwear lipstick, but with a crayon shape and smooth formula, they are so much easier to apply.

H A I R

As some of you may know, my hair is bleached pretty much to the maximum and I have no intention of going back to my natural colour yet, so I have needed to keep my hair as soft and healthy as I possibly can. The good thing about the bleach I use is that I get a free hair mask with it, and that is the Bleach London Reincarnation mask that is included in the Bleach London Total Bleach kit. If you’re in need of a hair mask that smells good and leaves your hair as soft as you’ve ever felt it, then look no further than the reincarnation mask.

M U S I C

This month has been a month of listening to amazing albums, including Views by Drake, Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande, and Lemonade by Beyonce. I’ve also been loving Spotify’s pop playlists and chart lists as I put them on at work and the upbeat vein of the current charting songs makes for a more positive day at work, too!

B O O K S

I’ve recently discovered the brilliance of the Kindle app on Android, and have been buying books on it to read as I travel or spend long periods of time away from my bookshelf. My recommendation for a good series on Kindle is the All For The Game series by Nora Sakavic, starting with The Foxhole Court, which you can get free on the Kindle store. And if you enjoy the first book, the second and third are only 99p each.

That’s everything I’ve been loving during the month of June, I hope you enjoyed today’s post and leave me a comment with your favourite thing from June!

Much love,

Jess | stylenua

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