year-round fashion essentials

It’s always good to have some year-round clothing essentials at hand, especially if you dress in a certain style and find it hard to shop during either the winter or summer seasons. I like a lot of clothing that is typically only available in A/W collections, but since the climate is usually pretty cool and rainy in Ireland, it works no matter the season. Today I decided to share some of my year-round fashion essentials and the best places and times I have found them.

New Look grey cotton turtleneck, a/w '17

The first is of course a turtleneck. I love these so much, whether just simple cotton or a cosy wool, and I have many turtlenecks by now, most I found in charity shops, and others in Penneys and New Look. One of my turtlenecks bought in a charity shop is from Dunnes Stores. These are mostly winter clothing but around springtime they are added to sales lines in order to make room for summer stock, and this is when I tend to buy them.

Next is a pair of boots, whether ankle, knee-high, heeled or flat, a pair of boots is so useful no matter what time of year. I typically wear a pair of flat black boots to work as they are comfortable and easy to wear for long periods of time. I often buy pairs of boots in New Look, although Office and Topshop also have good pairs.

h&m vintage fit jeans, a/w '17

I love jeans but finding the right pair is so difficult. I love these h&m vintage fit jeans, although they’re actually a little big for me so I would love a new pair. These are kind of mom jeans though not advertised as such. I think they look typically 90s though, and I wear these with another of my year-round essentials: my black belt from Topshop. The cuffs of my jeans look much better rolled up as I feel that makes me look a little taller (I hope, anyway!)

h&m black maxi skirt, s/s '18

A good skirt is so useful because you can wear it so many different ways and for different things. I got a beautiful and practical grey mini skater skirt in a charity shop but it is h&m, and I know they regularly have skirts like this. Maxi skirts are also wonderful if you want to make a statement. I tend to wear my plain black h&m maxi skirt with crop tops or cropped jumpers. I also wear heeled boots or heeled sandals with it because it makes me less worried about tripping on excess material. I love waisted skirts and I tend to shop in New Look and h&m for skirts because I like most of their fits, however their sizing is a little awkward and what fits me on my waist won’t fit me on my hips, and vice versa.

I love a good blazer, and I have had many throughout the years. Black blazers are infinitely useful and I hope to own one till the end of my days, but I'm currently more into this grey blazer I found in a charity shop. It's originally from Zara and I know there are usually blazers available in Zara, as well as stores like & Other Stories, h&m, New Look, and Penneys. They really make an outfit look more put together, and you can find blazers in all kinds of fits, including longline, straight cut, fitted, or cropped. 

I hope you enjoyed this little fashion post, I feel as though I don't write enough of them but I'm hoping that will change in the coming months!

Lots of love,

Jessica x

scents for summer

Summer is such a great time for perfume, there are so many scents that are perfect for the sunny days we all hope to have, especially here in Ireland. I know a lot of people have different scents depending on the season, and while I love having multiple perfumes on the go at once, I definitely have different types of scents for the different seasons. So here are some of my favourite scents for the summer season!

           

The first is one of my all-time favourites, Sweet Like Candy by Ariana Grande. This scent is so beautifully sweet and light which makes it perfect for creating a summery feeling when you smell it. It’s also quite affordable as perfumes go, with current prices around €30-€50/£22-£50 for 30-100ml bottles. The packaging is also adorable, which makes it more interesting and attractive as a product.

           

The next is a perfume I recently got as a gift, and that is Burberry Body Tender, which is a heavier scent than Sweet Like Candy, but works for summer in that it has a lovely citrus note. I love this scent for busy days because it lasts all day and it’s a gentle scent once it settles.

Something that isn’t a perfume but have a beautiful scent for the summer months are the Original Source Cherry and Almond Milk, and Sweet Apple and Vanilla Milk shower gels. I love how sweet these smell, and they're just nice gentle scents on your skin which can blend really well with a sweet perfume. It’s always nice to pick a shower gel that you look forward to using, it helps with those early starts for work or college!

It wouldn’t be a perfumes post from me if I didn’t mention my all-time favourite scent, Ari by Ariana Grande. The praise I have for this perfume will never end, I love everything about it – except its lasting power, I need more! However, since I use up the eau du parfum so quickly I tend to use the body spray more regularly. This is easily gotten from most Boots and Superdrug stores or from The Perfume Shop online. And it’s a lot cheaper than buying the perfume, which is handy.

Lately I have been using the Ari body spray, Sweet Like Candy, and Burberry Body Tender all together. It makes this strange fresh but sweet scent that I really like and it does stick around all day which is handy for when I’m at work all day.

If you've been looking for a new perfume or just a new shower gel with a lovely sweet scent I hope you enjoyed my recommendations, 
Lots of love,
Jessica x

self tanning with eczema

So, here’s the thing: I hate being pale. It’s just personal preference really, but since I’m also quite terrified of sunburn and UV rays damaging my skin, I prefer to fake my tan. It’s also a tedious job but it’s significantly safer than being out in the sun for hours attempting an authentic tan (especially with this glorious summer we’re having in Ireland at the moment.) However, the major obstacle between my skin and self-tanning is my continuous eczema flareups. I’ve had many throughout my life and my currently affected areas are my arms and hands, as well as a few sporadic patches along my legs. This makes it difficult to get an all-over tan that isn’t clinging to dry patches, but I have been able to reduce the appearance of my eczema while I’m fake tanned, and that’s what I’m sharing with you today.

Now the first thing anyone who uses self-tan will know is that exfoliating is vital. This applies to eczema too, though you need to be careful not to be too abrasive – a gentle exfoliant works much better in my experience. I usually make a scrub out of either used coffee grounds from my French press, or just sugar and honey mixed in a little tub. If I don’t have any of those ingredients to hand, I’ll just use a normal shower gel with exfoliating gloves and gently buff my skin. I have to spread this out over a few days rather than just one, so my skin has time to recover. I would love to try a tan eraser or remover, but I haven’t seen one recommended highly enough to invest in one yet. Let me know if you have tried any, and what you thought of them!

The next, and in my opinion, the most important step: moisturising. Various self-tanning tips say that you should moisturise before tanning, some others advise only applying it to dry areas or the elbows and knees. I find that a mixture works for me, such as applying my prescription hydro-cortisone cream on eczema patches, and lightly moisturising my elbows, knees, hands, and feet. I also tan my face, so I apply my usual face moisturiser. I’ve found that waiting at least half an hour after showering and moisturising improves the results of my tan so I try to space it out – and of course it’s advisable to apply tan in the evening or at night to let it develop as you relax for the evening or while you’re asleep. I tend to apply my tan a few hours before I go to sleep so that it isn’t still drying as I’m going to sleep, and then the next morning I like to rinse it off and apply a good layer of moisturiser on top to kind of seal the tan in, as silly as that sounds.

What I have found due to my eczema is that some self-tan brands are better than others, so if you have dry or sensitive skin like I do, it can feel like a lot of trials and failures. I originally tried gradual tans like the Dove and Garnier ones, and then tried Cocoa Brown original tan.  Cocoa Brown is a nice tan and gives a gorgeous colour but it really did not agree with my eczema as much as other brands have. I tried out the B-Bold smart mousse over the Christmas break and I found that much better. It didn’t dry out my eczema as much as Cocoa Brown did and was a lot easier to remove afterwards. I recently decided to try out Bondi Sands because I have heard so much about the brand, so I got the tanning foam in the dark shade – which isn’t actually as dark as I had anticipated thankfully. It has a similar result to the B-Bold mousse which was a relief, and I am definitely a fan of both brands. Unfortunately, sensitive skin can be very temperamental so while I do recommend these tans based on my own experience, they may not suit everyone’s skin.

Because my skin is so sensitive and irritated, I don’t tan every few days, instead I keep my skin moisturised after every shower and I make sure the water is not too hot so that my skin doesn’t get worse and so that my tan stays for longer. While showering before applying my tan I also turn the water to cold right at the end to close my pores. This is my usual shower routine anyway, since it helps keep my eczema calm but it’s definitely useful in a tanning routine too.

I hope this has been helpful if you want to get a nice glow that doesn’t involve sunbeds or waiting (im)patiently for a tan while lying in the sun, and if you have any other tips then leave a comment below, I’d love to hear them!

Lots of love,

Jessica.