Bye Acrylics

Yes, you read the title correctly!

I am no longer an acrylic nail veteran, au naturale is the way I've been living this past month or so.

Now, this change wasn't by choice, when you have to go out into the real world and have to get a job, one of the biggest requirements is to have natural or short nails.

In my case, natural nails was a must because I needed to match the ethic of the brand.

I've been having major withdrawal symptoms, I've just started getting used to it. I work in the beauty industry at the moment so I get to have my nails done regularly which has softened the blow a little.
I personally feel I needed this transition to natural, I've had acrylics nails on religiously for 5 years and I'm glad I've had this opportunity to be able to take a break and appreciate my natural-ness.

I'm still sticking to doing my favourite colour. . . nude.
My nails are quite damaged from the acrylics so I've been wearing lighter colours and using a cuticle oil to help repair them. My nails grow very fast and I'm already seeing the new growth looking so healthy. I'll do some before and afters later on in the year and what I've done to help repair them as I know having healthy nails is something that we love to have.

So that's me for now, au naturale (until further notice!)

Take care, Jess!

Time for Dr Martens

It's never too early (in my eyes) to whip out your Winter boots, I'm not a fan of being cold, my feet and head must be warm at all times so it's no surprise that I'm already sporting my Dr Martens. My manager was shocked (and quite amused) to see me wearing my UGGs to work one September morning.

If my feet are warm then I'm a happy girl!

I love my docs, they're perfect, they look good but also feel good. They can feel heavy when you first start wearing them but you eventually get used to them. I drove to work in them for the first time last week and I found my self pressing the pedals quite firmly not realising how heavy they were. After a couple drives, I got used to the pressure I'm supposed to apply. I'm quite a confident driver so it didn't put me off wearing them to drive, plus my feet were extra cosy so win-win.

These are my go-to at the moment, what are your go-to A/W shoes? Are you like me and are whipping out the heavy duty boots or are you waiting a bit for 'real Winter'?

Dr Martens Serena 8 Eye II Boot

Take care, Jess x

Beverly Hills Formula Professional White*

*This post contains gifted items by Beverly Hills Formula, all views/opinions/experiences expressed within the post are all my own.

Beverly Hills Formula

I am that person that has no faith in teeth whitening products, mainly because of fake advertisement by celebs and I don't feel brands take into consideration how long it will take to see a difference and it's usually not the '2 week transformation' they're promising on the label.

I was sent a toothpaste and mouthwash by Beverly Hills Formula to test out and this is my honest experience with it.

The products claims to eliminate bacteria causing bad breath, neutralise remaining odours and remove surface and deep stains without harming the enamel.

It advises to brush twice daily and to use the mouthwash after brushing.

So nothing too crazy promised on the packet which to me gives me some hope in the thinking the product will work. They haven't promised ice white teeth in 7 days, which companies usually do.

I was using it on and off for a month when I first received it, I wanted to compare the feel of it between my normal toothpaste so alternated between the two daily. I noticed that the BHF toothpaste made my teeth feel very, very smooth after use, almost 'pearly' like as opposed to my normal toothpaste that gave me just the fresh and clean feel.

After a month of on and off use, I started using it twice daily to see if I could see a difference in whiteness, to cut long story short, my teeth look brighter and slightly whiter but I didn't see a huge difference in the 2 months of using it.

I feel that long term use will be effective, I'm a huge tea drinker so it does stain my teeth and I have noticed my teeth to be so much brighter after use.

It doesn't promise white teeth and I was expecting to have white teeth after using it, I understood from the product that I'd have brighter teeth and a fresher mouth which I feel this product has done for me.

It's so easy for brands to mislead consumers and I am impressed that BHF hasn't tried deceive consumers when it's so easy to do so.

I've finished the mouthwash but I have a little bit of the toothpaste left, I'd definitely purchase it and make it 'my' toothpaste. I'll do an update maybe 6 months from now so you guys can see a before and after after a long period of use.

For now, I'm really pleased with the results and I'd say give it a try especially if you're someone that drinks a lot of coffee, tea or coloured drinks.

Take care, Jess x

Can be purchased at Superdrug.

I CUT MY HAIR (for real this time)

If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat, you'd know I've taken two trips to the barbers and both times, I was so nervous, I could shit myself.

It felt so weird to be someone that has had long hair to now having a pair of clippers swept across your head. It's been the strangest change, not only for me but for my parents too who never thought they'd see their daughter in a barbers, let alone sitting in the chair.
As a Nigerian, my parents (dad more so) see hair as a sign of beauty and also being heavily invested in religion, hair is a sign of strength and cutting it, represents you weakening yourself.
That's the "belief".

However, I see it as switching up the do and slaying. Hair is just hair and it will grow back.
I've loved having my hair so short, it's been so easy to look after and do in the morning, well there's not much to do.
I do want to dye it, in the near future but not 100% on what colour yet so I've stuck to black for the time being.
My hair is naturally curly so I've been wearing it like so, I haven't attempted finger waves yet which I will, I just have to have the patience to do it. When I do, I'll defnitely show you guys.

The products I'm using haven't changed much but I'll do updated hair routine in my next hair related post.

I've been enjoying watching natural hair journeys so it's been fun starting my own journey. It's sort of a journey to nowhere because my aim isn't really to grow it, more so to have healthy hair until I feel I want to grow it long again.

What do you guys think of my new cut? I'm scared to go different in terms of shaving styles but I will try find some inspiration before I sit in the barbers' chair again and ask for something snazzy.

Have any of you gone and got a drastic cut recently? Let me know how you're loving it!

Take care, Jesslyn x

BABY BLUE

My obsession with nude nails came to an abrupt end when I saw this shade of blue on the shelf. 

I contemplated for ages whether I should be brave and go for a bright, neon shade but head and heart screamed NO, so I listened. My sister was in the seat next to me convincing herself to 'try something new' and immediately retracted her bravery and went with a nude-y pink.

I, on the other hand, refused to cave in and spotted this purple-ly, grey hue of baby blue and I was sold. 

It's not too bright and not too muted either, perfect for someone that doesn't like the sight of bright orange nails on themselves.

My problem with bright nails isn't the colours, it's the feeling of getting home and thinking 'damn, this colour is too much, should've gone with more of a blah, blah, blah'. Something, I've said to myself every single time I've had red nails.

I digress.

This shade of baby blue, I love. I don't know the name, I'm rubbish at remembering to note the shades but it's a very nice shade of blue. (Will update if I find the shade again during my next trip!)

My nails look did, sometimes it's good to step out of your comfort zone even if it's only slightly.

Be brave, I know it's hard!

Take care, Jess x

3 Rules to a Simple, Slaying Outfit

I'm that person that panics when invited to an event because 'I have no clothes', goes around the whole London looking for an outfit and then settles for the simplest outfit.

Simple is best.

Less is more.

Always works for me, I just stress myself out trying to be extra when there's no need.

I go by these 3 basic rules:

ONE GARMENT

When you have no idea what to wear, stick to looking for one garment, whether it be a dress, a jumpsuit or a playsuit. It makes life so much easier, you don't have to worry about what will go with what and once you have found 'the one', the task is over!

PRINT OR BLACK

I have found what when I'm struggling to look for an outfit, I either go for something printed or I just opt for black. You cannot go wrong with black, ever.

A printed piece is perfect because it speaks for itself, you don't need anything to 'jazz' up the outfit, a simple pair of heels (or kicks) and minimal jewelery will do.

Black is great too because everything goes with black, you can easily pair any shoe and a fancy clutch with it and you're good to go.

STWYK (stick to what you know!)

 For me, this is the most important rule. When you're short of time to find an outfit, experimenting with fits and shapes you're not familiar with is a no-no. Sitck to what you know suits you and you know you're comfortable wearing. It makes the shopping experience easier and stress-free.

I'm wearing

PRIMARK Dress

PRIMARK (old) Cobalt Heels (alternative)

Sparkly Hoops (alternative 1 / 2)

CASIO Watch

Hope you'll remember these rules next time you're shopping for an outfit under pressure (or not haha)!

Thanks for reading, Jess.

UPDATE | Why I Haven't Been Blogging

Wow, when you look at when I lasted posted on FashionSquash, it's hard to believe that 6-7months has gone by. I really thought that I'd be able to stick with blogging when the new year had begun but that entirely wasn't the case.

The last year of uni was such a struggle, I'd never been so stressed in my life.

Uni was the least of my worries as with the stress, I became very ill, I was diagnosed with Lupus during Summer last year and have been trying to balance being healthy and getting daily sh*t done.

To be honest, other than trying to get my degree completed, I've been bed bound. Being someone that's active, going to the gym 4/5 times a week, on the sewing machine up until 4am, it was difficult to be absolutely useless.

I'm not someone that likes to dwell on a negative especially when it's to do with my health. I've got my degree out the way and I'm now getting back into my gym routine, focusing on getting stronger and healthier. Also, my appetite was so bad during uni and it's only in the past couple of weeks, I've built my appetite back up.
Blogging is something I love doing alongside fashion design so I always find myself wanting to get back into the swing of it even if it's been half a year since I last posted. I love being able to share my experiences (and outfits) with you guys so I definitely don't want to give up on it.
I've also had a surge of followers and brands emailing so it's given me a lot of motivation as I feel people are still reading and interacting.

I do want to incorporate more of my 'lifestyle' into my blog, gym workouts, food I'm eating, hair care now that my hair is shorter etc. I defintely want to share what it's like living with Lupus and what I do to keep myself well so that'll be an informative addition to my blog.

I have a YouTube channel with my sister, Alexandria & Jesslyn, where we post vlogs and challenges so that's also a great way of keeping up to date in video form.

I was thinking about changing my blog name but I'm not sure what to change it to so I'll keep it the same for now until I've thought of something.

Hope you all are looking forward to some new content on here, it's been a minute!

Thanks for reading and make sure you follow so you don't miss out, J.

Lookin' Real Swaggy

First OOTD of 2017 and if I must say so myself, I'm lookin' real swaggy.

I've got a new look going on, I love switching up my style every now and then, I feel I can pull off many looks so I don't mind stepping out of the box and throwing on new things. 

I got this amazing green jacket over the Christmas period, I'm not one for bright colours but it was a bargain and I couldn't resist. I got it in a size 14 because I wanted it to be oversized and be able to wear loads underneath in this cold weather and then in Spring wear it open with a cute bralet or something and it would still look nice oversized.

I got these Dr Martens as a Christmas gift from my sister, I've been wearing them every chance I get, basically everyday. They're so comfy once you break them in, which wasn't too bad anyway. I love them, I'd been wanting them for years but I couldn't bring myself to buy them even though I really wanted them. They are the Serena boots, the fur lined ones, uhh-maazingg.

As you can see my hair is shorter (next post!) and these clear lense glasses and hoops have been my uniform. I'm going to build a lovely collection.

Now my hair is shorter, I feel like as soon as I throw on the hoops my look is complete, not too much hustle and bustle. Love that. 

I'm wearing

PRIMARK Jacket & Joggers (alternative) 

EBAY Clear Lense Glasses

PRIMARK Messenger Bag

DR MARTENS Serena Boots

Hope you guys like my first OOTD of 2017 and are looking forward to more.

Take care,

Jesslyn

2017, I'm Coming For Ya

source

Happy New Year everyone! 

I cannot believe 2017 is here, I'm so excited for this year, I'm probably one of those people that say they're excited but are screaming 'CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS YEAR TO BE OVER!' by September.

However, 2017 has so much in store for me!

It's going to be a very different year for me, I'll no longer be a student, this is officially my last year in education (unless I choose to study an additional subject or get my masters etc.). I will be graduating and I'm super excited, my social media platforms are going to be flooded with graduation pictures #sorrynotsorry. 

These past couple of years have been extremely challenging and I'm at the last hurdle with completing my final major project (my first collection) and I'm trying to make it the most positive experience it can be. Also, follow my design page (@jesslynrobertofficial) to get updates on my collection and Snapchat (jsln_rbt) too as I'm on there frequently.

I haven't really set any new year goals or resolutions, I'm just going with flow. 

I know what I want for myself this year and I'm working on it or have been working on it.

For some, it helps to have their goals written down in list form, I've found over time that doesn't work for me. I'd rather have a goal in mind and work on it, however writing down long term goals is beneficial.

It's going to be a fun year, I want it to be. I'll be 21 so I'm definitely looking forward to that.

I'll 100% be a driver, I cannot wait to be on the road, the struggle has been real these past couple of months but everything in good time.

I definitely want to travel this year, as soon as I'm free from the claws of my degree, my ass is going on a plane to somewhere haawwwwtt. My skin needs some 30 degree sun!

It's all about execution this year, I've been building a foundation and this year I really want to step up and pursue the things I've been talking about and planning. I'm pushing myself to work hard and stay motivated. The year won't be how I want it to be if I don't work on the things I want so I'm definitely keeping that in mind each day. No slacking 'round here!

2017, please be good to me.

Jesslyn