Simple Winter Make Up

It's officially Winter here in the UK and the big coats are out! 

Not a fan of the freezing cold but if it means I get to wear all my knits and coats then so be the cold.

In terms of make up, I've kept it pretty simple throughout the season, simple base, bronzer and a nude lip. I love dark lips but they're too much to maintain, if I can be bothered, I switch up the nude for a plum or a deep red.

I've been loving the Make Up Revolution Contour Kit, it has a contour, highlighter and bronzer which makes my life easy because everything is one place and throwing it in the make up bag is hassle-free.

I swear by my Revlon ColorStay Foundation and LA Girl Pro Conceal, two of my very favourite beauty products, I've been repurchasing them for a while and haven't really thought to try anything new because they work so well, especially with my oily/combination skin.

You guys know Collection's Sheer Loose Powder has been saving my face for years, it's a holy grail product for me. It's translucent so I can use it over my base or over my blusher/bronzer when I start to get oily during the day. It's only £2.99 which is super amazing and I really, really recommend it!

Lastly, two MAC products, the Lipglass and the Fix+, bits that I love to use.

The Fix+ is a product I think everyone should have (unless it makes you break out etc.), it's such good stuff, I use it whether it's a light or heavy make up look.

The Lipglass is self explanatory, if you love a nude lip, MAC's Lipglass in Lust is a must have!

So that's my simple Winter make up look, would love to know what your go-to look has been during this A/W. I've really stuck to what I'm used to because they all work well with my skin, haven't had any major breakouts in a while. I'm sure my skincare routine has a big part to play so I'll definitely be letting you guys know what's up with my skincare in the near future!

Hope you're all well and enjoying the cold haha

Take care,

Jesslyn

FITNESS | Kick it off with Pink

I'm sure, 'Join the gym!', 'Start working out!', 'Eat healthier!' was at the top of a lot of people New Years' resolutions and to be honest, why not?

New year, fresh start, getting fit and healthy is a great thing to start doing and if you keep up with it and begin to see results, I tell you, it's worth having on your to-do list.

I started training back in October 2014, I had just started uni, they had a gym on campus with a cheap membership and I thought, might as well start here.

The first 6 months was the hardest, I was working out twice a week, pretty hard but I wasn't eating right meaning I didn't see the results I wanted and I couldn't understand why, at the time.

I have a very fast metabolism, so fat gets burnt very, very quick and my aim was to tone and build muscle. So as an ectomorph (google it!) it was super hard to see those results.

After about 6 months, I had finished uni for the year meaning less eating out, less sugar because I would be at home cooking for myself and snacking on better bits. I joined my local gym which is about 10 mins walk (or 5 mins bus ride. . . I know, lazy!) and made it my mission to eat better. 

I started training around 4-5 times a week and about 2 months in, I started seeing amazing results!

I wanted to look good for my Majorca holiday so this was my main motivation to keep going.

I started cooking better meals for myself, researching about workouts I could do, how many times I should train certain parts of the body and with this, I started moving forward and getting the results I wanted.

So now, about a year and a bit later, I know exactly what I should do and what I can do to achieve certain results.

I'm naturally slim and being 5ft3 just means that 'tiny' and 'skinny' is easily the names I get labelled with. I personally don't mind because I love my body regardless but a lot of girls my age, younger and possibly older, probably hate being called that and to be honest, I think it's the same as calling someone 'fat' if used maliciously.

I'm quite excited to continue my fitness journey into 2016, I haven't started great but my mum bought the cute pink workout top for Christmas and I thought why not start a 'Fitness' segment on the blog and share my journey with you guys. 

I'm not in anyway qualified so I won't be telling you what you should do or giving you nutritional info, it will just be me telling you what I do to get my results and tips and tricks on staying motivated.

I've also been wanting to do a gym lookbook for the longest because I stay looking cute at the gym and I can't wait to show you bits and bobs that I've been wearing! 

It will be interesting to see how it will go down on the blog because it's a part of my life that I only really snapchat (jsln_rbt) about so it will be fun to see how different it will be on the blog.

Hope you guys will like this new segment of FashionSquash, please leave me any feedback or things you'd like to see, would love to hear your thoughts!

Take care,

Jesslyn

That Leather Bucket Hat

Look at this beauty, just look at it!

Lovely Christmas gift from the sister, she knows me soooo well. I've been on the hunt for one for ages and she managed to find one for me.

I have a floral which I wore on holiday and I absolutely loved it but a girl is never satisfied unless she has something in black also.

I thought the cotton ones were pretty dry looking and that's why my leather hunt started.

Tried and failed so I just pushed it to the back of mind, every now and then, thinking, 'oh, a leather bucket hat would look good with this outfit'. Don't you just hate that?

Well, luckily, my sis supports the movement and got me this gorgeous thing. 

It's from Primark and it's from the mens' section, she said. Not sure about the pricing but I'm sure it's not much more than a tenner.

I'm loving it so far, worn it a few times and I can't wait to show you guys how I'm wearing it.

Keep a look out!

Take care, 

Jesslyn

Current Favourites

Hello lovelies, 

I hope everyone has settled back into work or school/uni, it's always hard after Christmas/New Year to get back into your regular routine because you get so comfortable with eating loads, chilling with fam and friends and just not having to do much, in general. 

So, picking yourself up to get back into routine is always difficult but I hope everyone's enjoying being back and isn't too tired and moody haha

I find that having some key pieces helps you settle back into your daily activities which is why I want to show you guys what my current favourites are.

I'll start off with the fashion bits. 

I'm pretty sure if you're up to date with my OOTD's or follow me on IG, you have seen these particular pair of Air Max's and this faux fur gilet.

They are forever on my body, I went to a drink up on Friday and guess what I had on? . . . lol yep.

I'm queen of comfort, I love to be comfortable so when I find pieces that support my needs, I wear them to death which I guess is quite normal.

The Air Max 90's are my favourite trainers right now, I love things to be black but the fact that they're not, makes me wear them more because I get to wear more black/grey/white clothing. You understanding the logic? haha

It's a nice blue though and trainers are quite easy to wear anyway.

During my Black Friday campaign with Boohoo, I fell in love with a faux fur gilet that was gifted to me and I've been wearing it non-stop and to be honest, why not?

It's just so easy to add that extra layer to any outfit, whether you want to wear it on top of another jacket or simply over a knit dress. 

I've got the Vanessa Faux Fur Gilet* and it's a great length and fits me great. I'm petite so I'm glad it fits well and I'm still able to layer with it, style and warmth wise.

Next is another piece of faux fur, this headband from New Look (alternative), I love it because it's different to wearing a cap or beanie. Those cold nights but you want to look fancy? Throw on a faux fur headband!

Lastly are some beauty/skincare bits.

I'm a huge fan of La Roche Posay and their Effaclar range to be specific. Ever since I started using the Duo and then [+] and then eventually, the 3 in 1 Anti Blemish system, my skin has been glowing, with or without make up.

I haven't really had major breakouts, like I used to, my skin isn't so pigmented anymore and I know it's because of these products. Throughout the Christmas period and the house move, I've been super stressed and usually I'd have huge breakouts but I was religious with my skincare routine with LRP and my skin seems pretty happy.

Next, has to be the LA Girl Pro Conceal, of course. Although, my skin's good, the dark circles are inevitable and concealer has been my absolute saviour, whether I'm applying it with a full face or just by itself with some mascara.

It's super easy to apply and it's 100% brightens up my under eye which is exactly what I need it to do!

Last but not least, it's pretty random but it is my mini hair brush. I'm someone with pretty thick hair so getting the edges to lay is a task and a half. This is where my hard bristle brush comes in handy, it gets the kinks out and with some Dax, the edges stay laid. I love the size as well, easy to throw in the ol' handbag.

So those are my current faves, all have been making life much easier and helping me getting back to normal after Christmas, period of chilling.

I love having those bits that you can repeatedly use and you don't have to worry about whether or not you have it. I'll probably do a post on how I style my wardrobe for the week because honestly, with the system I have, it's made life easier and why wouldn't I want to share that?!

I 'd love to know what you're system is or what your current favourites are, I'd love to know!

Hope you're all well, until next time,

Jesslyn

NEW IN | Primark Sale Knits

Yay, first haul of 2016, aren't you lovin' it! 

Got me some gorgeous knits in the Primark sale, I lurveeee knitwear so I couldn't pass these up when they were hanging on the rack with the big, fat SALE sign on top of them.

Honestly, I hadn't been to Primark for ages before this so I'd never seen the knits before so seeing them in the sale made me so happy because I would've probably brought them at full price, had I seen them earlier.

I got the grey coloured knit in a size 14 because I really wanted it to be oversized and comfy but the cream one is the exactly the same jumper however, I got it in a size 10 for a more fitted look as for the other two jumpers.

Please believe me when I say none of them were any more than £7, crazy huh? (Prices for all, below)

They're such beautiful pieces, cannot wait to wear them!

Cream Oversized Jumper Dress | £7

Khaki Mohair Jumper | £5

Grey Oversized Jumper Dress | £7

Black Ripped Jumper | £5

Get your mitts on these bargain pieces if you're loving them, you'll be disappointed if you pass them up, I'm telling you!

Hope you're all well and settling back into your routines, nice and smoothly.

Take care, 

Jesslyn

REVIEW | Make Up Revolution Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquer

First review of the year and we're kicking it off with the velvet lip lacquer by Make Up Revolution.

If you've been reading for a while now, you'd notice that I quickly became a fan of Make Up Revolution last year. They are always fast to bring out the 'trendy' products and that's what I love about them.

Now, you guys know I was on the look out for some matte lippies and ended up purchasing the MUA Power Pout Acrylic thinking it would be somewhat matte but it wasn't.

So when I thought I'd try the Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquer and it was a real matte lippy, I was super excited.

I wanted something dark, so I went for Black Heart because it sounded the darkest and oh boy, it's dark!

I'll start off with the good bits.
First of all, pigmentation on fleek. It does not lack in colour at all. I apply it with a liner but for the purposes of the review and testing it out, I applied it without. The colour lasts the entire until it starts to come off, it doesn't fade. (I'll explain more in the cons section)
Application is pretty easy, it doesn't drag the lip as you swipe it across, it has a doe-foot applicator too. I think a lip liner is a must for any pigmented lip product as they do bleed which can be very annoying. It also makes it easier to apply if you use a lip liner first. One very important thing to remember whilst applying this is, DO NOT rub your lips together whilst it's drying, it will mess it up and you'll have to reapply from scratch. Yep.
The packaging is nice, not much to say about it to be honest. Didn't excite me too tough but I do like the gold accents on it and the outer packaging is pretty lush for a high street brand.
The price is great, I bought it from Superdrug for £3 which I'd say is very cheap for a product like this. It's currently on sale on the Make Up Revolution site for £1.50 which is even better for any of you guys that want to purchase (or me, who wants to get another one haha)
Lastly, it's very easy to take off, it comes off in flakes so not much rubbing to do, it doesn't stain the lips which is great for a lippy so dark. Just a wipe will do and then commence with your regular skin care routine.


Now, the cons.
I'd start off by saying this, please do moisturise beforehand because it can become quite drying throughout the day. I'm someone that cannot stand dry lips and applying more of the lacquer on top will not help the situation.
Also, one thing I did notice when wearing it was that, it has great staying power when talking, smiling, drinking but as soon as you eat or purse your lips, it comes straight off. Most lip products fade but this one actually just disappears or separates, so if you've pursed your lips together, it will leave your lips bare, without any lacquer.
Quite strange I must say but it could be because of the matte effect. If you think that's something that would bother you, I wouldn't recommend it.

There isn't many bad things to say about it, I still do like it but I don't love, love it. It's a great product if you moisturise well and the staying power is pretty good for a lippy that isn't a stain.
I wouldn't repurchase this particular shade again but maybe a lighter one where the disappearing act isn't so noticeable. For £3 (or £1.50), you can't really complain, this is the first matte lacquer I've tried so I may try another one and compare it.
But for now, I'd still recommend for it's pigmentation and affordability!

What do you guys think? Have you tried the Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquer?
I'd love to know your thoughts on it!

Thanks for reading and take care,
Jesslyn

OOTD | New Year's Khaki

When the Sun comes out on a Winter's day and you snap up the opportunity to get some great pictures. Yurp, yurp!

I was cold, of course but nothing a good jacket or coat can't fix, Winter hasn't really been showing itself so why not whip out the old arms, eh?
I'm obviously taking khaki into the new year, it's such a neutral colour that I'd never thought about before and I now I want half my wardrobe to be khaki!

My wardrobe is evolving actually, mainly because I've done a huge clear out and now I can see what I really have and what I'd prefer to have more of, I've purchased some amazing knits and basic bits so I'm pretty excited to show you guys.
I'm refining my style so you'll get to see what I'm up to along the way.

I do feel pretty fresh, this is what the start of a new year does to you. I know I said I didn't really want to set goals or resolutions but I might do a few blog ones because there's a few things that I want to improve and it will be nice to share them with you all.
Have you set any resolutions/goals? I'd love to know!

I'm wearing:

NEW LOOK Cami

NEW LOOK Ripped Cargo Chinos

(ALTERNATIVE) Lace Up Heels

PRIMARK Clutch


Thanks for reading, 
Jesslyn

Hello 2016!

Happy New Year!

So excited to start a fresh new year, here on FashionSquash! 

2015 was a bittersweet year but I'm looking forward to what 2016 has to offer. I haven't really thought about goals for this year because I'm more or less going with the flow. I know setting goals is something you should do at the start of every year however, I know ,deep down, what I want to accomplish this year regardless of writing a 'goals list'.

2015 was a rocky year, especially towards the end but I'm sure those experiences and lessons I've learnt will help 2016 be a much better year and me, a better, stronger person. I think I put a lot of energy into helping others during 2015 and at times, it was very draining, usually forgetting that I need take a step back and focus on me and my wellbeing. So definitely will be looking after myself more this year,  keeping myself stress-free,  motivated and just happy, in general.
I'm actually excited to say the least,  got loads planned,  academically and personally,  so I'm looking forward to sharing it all with you guys!

Hope you're all looking forward to the new year,
hello 2016!

Take care,
Jesslyn