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FASHION / IDGAF
My obsession with slogan tees won’t be quitting anytime soon! This one technically isn’t a slogan, but it’s a sassy as hell statement which is basically what I was going for.
When Rock on Ruby released this one last year I knew it had to be mine – I was going through a particularly hard time and thought wearing it may be kind of cathartic. It was.
I last wore this to a comedy gig; kind of an odd choice I guess! I teamed it with blue mom jeans, heeled patent ankle boots and my trusty baker boy cap. I finished the look with this long houndstooth blazer over the top, which is a great and chic layering piece.
Tee, Dom and Ink x Rock on Ruby / Blazer, Miss Pap
Thanks for reading,
J xx
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TRAVEL / 24 Hours in Manchester
This year I’ve resolved to get out and see more of the UK; so I’ve kicked off my pledge with one of the North’s most buzzing cities!
This was very much a flying visit, so we didn’t manage to do a great deal outside of shopping and eating, but I’m sharing my recommendations of places worth visiting if you’re having some time in #manchester
Where to stay
We stayed at Ibis Styles Manchester Portland which is about a 5 minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly station one way and directly opposite Piccadilly gardens and a short walk to the shops the other.
The hotel has been recently re-styled in typical quirky Ibis ‘styles’ as well as looking fun it also gently pokes fun at the city’s penchant for wet weather…starting with the handles on the front door!
Our bedroom was decorated in blues and yellows, and an adorable Daisy print carpet (which it was just too dark for me to get a cute pic of!
The shower was a great size and had a lovely waterfall shower head, as well as this cute little ‘mist drawing’ on the screen.
Breakfast was served in the adjoining Jamboree which may be one of the coolest spots I’ve ever had a hotel breakfast.
There was a good range of continental food options on offer that were presented in an equally quirky and thoughtful way for diners.
Where to eat
After being introduced by Alex a few years ago, I knew there was only one place I wanted to go for brunch; Home Sweet Home. Based in the Northern Quarter, it offers awesome brunch (they’re also open for lunch and dinner) and some of prettiest cakes on the planet!
Eggs Benny Macho, followed by a mahoosive slice of cake (I *may have had to take this back to the hotel for later)
For lunch, I’d recommend trying some of the street food at the Arndale Centre Market. We stumbled upon it a little by accident but are very pleased we did! There’s a whole host of cuisines to try – ranging from Greek, Indian, Italian, Vietnamese and even a healthy gym kitchen.
I opted for Indian (the Mr had Greek, but ate too much of it before I could get a pic. To be fair, he did let me try some and it was yummy) and got a generous helping of curry, rice and salad bar for £4 which is AMAZING value in any city centre!
Evening entertainment
(images in this section courtesy of Google, as no photos were allowed at this venue)As big comedy fans, we decided to check out the famous The Comedy Store, based in the Deansgate area which means there’s plenty of places to start and end your night around.
There were three comedians and an MC advertised on the bill, however a couple of extras were added for shorter ‘new talent’ slots so at £18 for a ticket it was good value for money. The comedians were largely unknown but all good (it’s not often I say that at a place like this) particularly the female MC Mandy Knight who is an absolute scream.
The only criticism I have is that the staff weren’t very organised at getting people in from the bar and into their seats; the show started 30mins late and the interval was an extra 15mins. It wouldn’t put me off going again, but I would have my expectations firmly managed to expect this.
I hope this has given you a great little bit of inspiration for your next visit to Manchester and I can’t wait to see where my UK travels will take me next. I hope you’ll be joining me on my adventures!
Thanks for reading,
J xx
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FASHION/ What’s in my ASOS basket? (February 2018)
I’ve seen a couple of my fave YouTubers do this recently so thought I’d give it a go in a written post format – shout out in the comments what you think, good or bad!
This has definitely taught me that my style preferences are at very different ends of the spectrum right now – casual and sporty or super girly:
1. Adidas Originals three stripe long sleeve tee
This sucker keeps selling out before I can get my hands on it! I’ve gone in on Adidas in a big way over the past few months as it’s really comfy and can easily be worked into a casual daytime look, and I just think this is a really cute staple to have in your wardrobe to throw on for weekend chills.
I adore the 90s feels of this! I had so many strappy dresses like this back then, I was a total slave to Tammy Girl (I’m fairly sure most of you reading this will not remember this clothing brand) I’d definitely be wearing it in a more pinafore style and put a plain white tee underneath, and swap out the baker boy for a beret (I just bought a red one that would work perfectly) I’d keep the heeled boots, as I don’t think I’m cool enough to do a tougher flat ankle boot (saying that – I was nowhere cool enough to wear DMs in the 90s but I still gave it a go!)
I’ve lusted after this one for a while, then I saw my girl Nicole wear it (and looked better than the ASOS model) and that made me pine more for it! I’ve hovered of the buy button with it for quite some time though; I think I’m worried about how I’d style it – I wouldn’t want to go down the same chunky jumper route as I think that would make my shape look worse, but I’m not sure something simple like a tee would be enough. Any thoughts on this are welcome!
4. Pull & Bear stripe side trousers
The main reason I was drawn to these was because of how they were styled online – the colour palette, sports- luxe vibe and mix of textures (I think I’d be safer wearing a sweatshirt than a chunky knit) are so easy yet cool. I’ve been thinking about investing in some Vans lately too but can’t quite justify them when I have perfect,y good other sneakers that’ll do the job just as well, fortunately I think my Converse would look awesome with this.
I’m so down for sliders, but most of mine are uber-girly and fluffy. These are a bit more practical for running around whilst still looking good, so these will be moved into my actual basket sooner rather later I think.
So that’s my current list! I’m sure you’ll be seeing whatever I end up getting on future posts (let me know if you think there’s anything I HAVE to buy)
Thank for reading,
J xx
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BEAUTY/ My every day makeup look
Month 1 of 2018 is finished already, wow. Come at me February!
Today I’m sharing the products I use to make myself feel more human and presentable each day – in no way can I profess to be expert in this area, but I’ve found a simple look and items to create it that works well for me and my current capabilities.
This creates what I’d call my ‘regular face’ – the one people will mostly see from me at the office or if I’m having a more casual weekend. Time is usually of the essence as I set of work reasonably early and I’d say it takes me about 20 minutes from start to finish with what I use and how I use it:
Prep
I like a good primer (sometimes I choose to wear it without anything applied over the top) but haven’t got one that I’m loving at the moment so am leaving it out of my routine for the moment. I am however applying Urban Decay Eyeshawdor primer potion my my eyelids as this is really great for keeping shadow in place.
I have two different kinds but I reach for the original formula most often as it has more of a silicon consistency which feels as if it’s ‘grabbing’ the shadow better (though the Eden version I have seems to work just as well, but just applies like a really light concealer consistency).
Base
I keep my base very light as I don’t really like the feel of foundation so instead use NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturise as it gives a bit of colour (and SPF coverage; which was great for my summer trip to NYC) but doesn’t feel too heavy.
I usually apply this with my fingers as I remember a NARS MUA telling me that it warms the product up which helps it to apply more nicely, it I usually finish by using a sponge to blend in any stubborn areas.
I conceal under my eyes and any redder areas (around my nose, the apples of my cheeks and occasionally forehead) with Collection Lasting Perfection – I usually mix up shades 1 and 2 and been using a small dry sponge.
Brows
I use Benefit Goof Proof (shade 3 or 4) by taking the pointier side to create a more defined shape, then the flatter side to fill using small sweeping strokes. I use a cotton bud to clean up any wayward edges.
Eyes
Despite the fact I’ve invested in some more expensive makeup palettes over the past 12 months, most days I still like to use the Collection Eyes Uncovered palette in Nude Rose as I still consider it one of my hero products and a game changer. There’s something about pink shadow that really brightens my eyes and makes me feel very natural yet put together when I’m wearing these. I did try out the matte version when it launched in 2017, but I wasn’t as keen on the the way shades looked without the shimmer.
I use shade 2 all over my lid, shade 4 on my outer crease and a up towards my brow bone (this is also a beautiful colour to wear over the whole lid) and the darkest purple shade in the outer corner.
To apply I use my Nanshy blending brush and eye crease brush and blend with a MAC 217.
I finish with one coat of mascara (2 if I feel a bit of extra sass is needed) – I’m working my way through a Sephora Lash Stash on the go set featuring 4 different brands, at the moment I’m back on which seems to be working for me a little better than the first I tried it last year (read my first impressions in this post)
Lips
I finish off with a slick of Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips. I have a lot of hot drinks throughout the day so anything more would be constantly wiped off, but weirdly I can’t bear not having anything on my lips when I’m wearing makeup everywhere else so this just allows me to feel ‘finished’.
And that’s my face! As part of my current spending detox (which I’m sure you’ll be sick of hearing about by the time I complete it) I’m trying to use the make up products I already have and know work me as much as possible – unless something runs out and needs re-purchasing or there’s a new release that blows my mind (I don’t think we can rule out another Naked Heat – style scenario this early in the year). I may do more posts throughout the year when my makeup bag favourites change as the seasons progress, so do shout out in the comments if that’s something you’d like to nosey at.
Thanks for reading,
J xx
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LIFESTYLE/ Ways to get into sleepy mode
I sleep really badly. When people say they sleep like a baby and they mean well, I sleep like an actual baby – waking up regularly, wriggling around and getting upset with mysel that I can’t nod back off. We’re always being told by experts that we need to get ‘enough’ sleep to be able to function effectively, and about 90% of the time I don’t!I’ve tried various things to get a more restful night’s sleep that have helped to improve this over the years, so I’m sharing the top 5 things I now use regularly that work for me.
1. A relaxing shower. Palmolive Milk and Honey shower gel
Having lived in homes and areas for the past decade that have had very low water pressure, iffy temperature control and dry old facilities, I have learnt that this step is definitely not to be underestimated! A lovely hot shower (as warm as you’re comfortable with) is physically very soothing on your skin and muscles, so adding in a product that has a relaxing and calming smell on your skin for the rest of the evening really helps me to wind down. I’ve used this Milk and Honey shower gel for years, it’s historically been the one I’ve taken on holiday with me for the precise reason that I find the smell relaxing. I now alternate between this and Imperial Leather Marshmallow – the scent is is very subtle and uplifting; it’s described on the bottle as ‘comforting’ which I most definitely agree with.
2. Sleepy body lotion, Lush
I’ve heard mixed reports in this since buying it; like any product it will work well for some people and not for others, however I’ve found I respond pretty well to this when used with other things on this list. I bought this without having heard about it’s cult following in summer last year – it was simply an impulse purchase because I adored the combination of the lavender and cocoa scents. I don’t have a set way in which I use this; sometimes I put it all over, other times I just use a little on my pulse points.
3. Comfortable clean PJs
Again, it may sound really obvious to suggest this, having great nightwear is as high priority as having any other kind of staple/go-to item in my opinion. What people find comfortable to wear in bed is vastly different and very much a personal choice but I would say the top things to consider across the board would be:
– Temperature. What sort of heating conditions are in the room you sleep in? If it’s a warm room or you have a really thick duvet, you may prefer to have lighter sleepwear. If you have a fan on/window open/ there’s no regular heating, you may something thicker is going to keep you toaster, and therefore asleep for longer. I personally like to have a mixture of items to suit all temperatures so have sleep t-shirts and full length PJs in my wardrobe.
– Fabric. What fabrics do you like the feel of and find nice to wear for long periods of time? I like jersey as it moves and washes well and feels soft against my skin which relaxes me more.
– Style. What features do you need to ensure your sleep isn’t interrupted? For me, if I’m wearing PJs I can’t stand it when the leg ride up in the night, so I usually opt for a more fitted style (e.g. Leggings) so that they stay put. I also like patterns that are a little more quirky and and fun, I’m partial to a slogan or print.
Most people find having a cup of something warm a pretty relaxing thing anyway, but a herbal tea can really ramp up the effects of this. I’ve noticed quite a few launch over the past few months too so there are plenty of brands and blends to choose from to find the one that may suit you best. Anything containing camomile as a base ingredient is usually a winner I find. Little tip – have this at least an hour before you go to bed, you don’t want to be woken up needing to pee!
5. DVD
I struggle with complete silence a lot of the time and going to sleep is no exception. I like to have s little bit of background noise to drown out, I can’t explain it very well but it kind of helps me concentrate on going to sleep. If this is something you’re going to try, I’d recommend putting something on that you’ve watched hundreds of times before so that you don’t feel like you have to concentrate and can passively listen to. For me this is a comedy DVD – I’ve watched many of mine so often I know what’s coming up, and they’re about as long it takes for me to drift off so that hubby can switch it off without me complaining I’m still awake.
I hope that by sharing some of the things I use you will be able to have a good or better night’s sleep in future. It’s by no means a perfect science and there will still be times where nothing will work sadly, but these certainly improve the quality and/or quantity of evening rest I get.
Thanks for reading,
J xx
About Me
I’m Jenny, nice to meet you. I’m a thirty-something who likes fashion, holidays and wondering about life. A lot.
Jenny Chat 