Pleated Skirt | Fashion

I really needed a few new work skirts, so I was excited when I came across this Super easy box pleated skirt tutorial. Miranda from One Little Minute Blog makes this skirt so easy to make with her easy to follow tutorial - colour pictures and all!

I love how easy it is to make a number of different outfits with this skirt. It is so versitile and I get so many comments on it when I wear it. 

If you have been reading the blog for a while you might have come across my love for invisible zippers. They not only make this skirt super easy to get on (considering it is high waisted) but looks great!

I used a cotton duck drill for this skirt which helps the pleats to sit properly. I will definitely be making more of these in the future. The only thing I do not like about this material is it attracts a lot of fibres.

Have you made a box pleated skirt before? I would love to hear your tips!

 

The Perfect Leather Jacket | Fashion

As you may have seen in this post, I have been on the lookout for a good quality leather look jacket. I have actually wanted one for a couple of years now, but have not been able to find one that I liked. I am here today to let you know I have found my perfect leather look jacket!

My sister and I were shopping in Forever New not long ago, and decided to try on a few items we had spotted that we didn't think we would purchase on the day. However once I had tried this jacket on, there was no way I was going to put it back on the rack! It was exactly what I was looking for, and fitted me perfectly. It was so perfect, my sister decided she wanted one for herself!!

One of the things I really love about this jacket is the quilted shoulders and cuffs. I believe they really add something special to the jacket. I know I will get so much wear out of this during winter.

Do you have a go to leather jacket?

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xx

 

A Very Special Engagement Party | Lifestyle

Shoes - Zara $120 // Dress - Bardot $80 (sale) // Earrings - Old // Flower Ring - Old // Rings - Pandora (gift)

hair & makeup by me

the lucky couple

family x

Last weekend we celebrated the engagement of my beautiful little sister and her fiancé. We had such a fantastic night and wish them all the best for the future x

 

Wardrobe Revamp | Create a Style Concept

Now that I have cleansed my wardrobe and started collecting inspiration for my personal style, the next step in Into Mind's 10 Step Wardrobe Revamp is to establish what your personal style is.

I feel like I have my work style down pact (I will be posting outfits on the blog) however my non work style needs some tweaking. I still find I look in my wardrobe and struggle to put outfit pieces together that I love wearing.

Based on my inspiration pictures, I am pretty certain  what my personal style is (and therefore how I would like to build my wardrobe) I love the idea of a neutral, simplistic but feminine wardrobe where I can co-ordinate many different outfits from a few pieces. Comfortable but stylish is what I would really love to achieve.

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I love the mix of neutrals in these pictures (the first one is my ultimate wardrobe!) Neutrals make it so easy to mix and match clothing into so many different combinations. I will be on the lookout for a good quality leather jacket this year. Good investments now means that your clothing will last for years. Comfortable but stylish!

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I always find myself gravitating towards skirts and dresses! I usually wear either a skirt or dress to work, but seem to struggle in incorporate them into my everyday wardrobe. This is something I definitely wish to change! I love the comfortable, yet stylish look of the pictures above.

This year my focus will be on finding / making pieces that fit into my chosen personal style. Look out for blog posts on these new additions as I acquire them.

What would you describe your personal style as? Are you due for a personal style check?

xx

 

3 Tips for Flawless Base Makeup

There is a away to achieve perfect flawless base makeup application no matter which base makeup you are using. I use these same 3 tips when applying both BB cream (which I wear nearly everyday) and foundation (for more special occasions)

1 | Pick the perfect brush

This is the first and most important step towards a flawless base makeup application. Using a good quality brush will ensure the application of your base makeup is even and not patchy. I use these brushes from Bubz Beauty (a Hong Kong based UK YouTuber/Blogger) and absolutely love them. You also want to ensure you are using the right brush for the right product. I tend to stick to my flat brush as I feel I have more control over the  application, however you may achieve similar results with your fluffy brushes!

2 | Don't use too much product at once

The key to flawless makeup application is to not use too much product at once. You will get a more even coverage by layering your product as needed. This also ensures you don't get that "cake face" look.

3 | Take your time blending

I spend more time now on the blending of my base makeup than ever before and the difference is amazing. The more time you spend blending in your base makeup, the better the application and the more flawless the outcome. By using this method, I can even blend in my BB cream to maximize the coverage. This method also ensures my base makeup stays in all day and all night. Always ensure you blend down your neck as well to avoid the dreaded "line!" 

I hope these 3 tips have been helpful! I would love to know your tips for perfect flawless base makeup application.

xx

 

Pea Green Sea | Featured Shop of the Week

Welcome to the first official Featured shop of the week. This week I would like to introduce you to Susan from Pea Green Sea. Susan has been a great help to me in settling into the Etsy Australia community so I was delighted to receive an email response from her about being featured on A Little Bit of Jess.

Tell us a little bit about yourself

Hi, I am Susan. I was raised in the small country town of Gunnedah, in North Western NSW, where crafting was a big part of our lives. Other than working overtime as a mum and wife, I also work as a part-time Podiatrist as well as the owner of a small handmade business called Pea Green Sea. So I fix up ingrown toenails by day, and turn beautiful vintage silk sarees into scarves by night. Quite the unusual combination.

The gorgeous Susan from Pea Green Sea

What made you want to start Pea Green Sea

I started my shop as a bit of a personal challenge. I have been crafty all my life, and I particularly love to sew. I take after my lovely Mum who is a chronic crafter and taught me to sew. I guess I wanted to see if I could earn some income from home, by doing something that I love to do.

Where did the idea for the name Pea Green Sea come from

The name" Pea Green Sea" was inspired by the poem "The Owl and the Pussy cat". This is one of my favourites and I love the whimsical atmosphere and the imagery it creates. I also wanted a business name to stand out and be recognised which can be a problem on such a large platform such as Etsy. If I ever open a homeware shop, it will be called "The Runcible Spoon".

Tell us about the products you sell and your processes

I primarily make and sell infinity scarves using the fabric from vintage silk recycled sarees which I source from a variety of suppliers in India. I like the design of the infinity scarf...no loose ends!  The silk is very light weight, so the scarves are easy and comfortable to wear in any season, and they look amazing anyone. They can also be worn equally with a casual day outfit, or as a unique addition to elegant after 5 evening wear. They also make great gifts to send to family and friends as they are light and easy to post.

What is the most useful piece of advice you have been given in regards to Pea Green Sea

The most useful tip I have been given about my shop is provide exemplary customer service. I ensure that all inquiries are personally attended to promptly, and I go to lengths to make sure my customers know I greatly appreciated their business. I have found that providing excellent service has resulted in many return customers.

What do you love most about Pea Green Sea

I love my shop because it allows me to have a  creative outlet, and provides some much needed balance in my life. I get enormous joy when someone chooses to purchase one of my scarves. You can be sure I am doing a little happy dance whenever I see an new order pop up.

Tell us where we can find out more about you and Pea Green Sea

You can find me here:

Etsy: etsy.com/au/shop/PeaGreenSea

Facebook: facebook.com/PeaGreenSea 

Instagram: @pea_green_sea

Previous Featured Shops
Little Miss Lorraine

If you would like your shop to be featured on A Little Bit of Jess, flick me an email me at alittlebitofjess04@gmail.com and I will be in contact with you!

xx

 

Wardrobe Revamp | Collect Inspiration

The last post in this wardrobe revamp series was to detox my wardrobe. I managed to get rid of a whole garbage bag worth of clothes which I will donate, and another bag of clothes and shoes that will be thrown away. As I said, this will be an ongoing process for me, but I am happy with the result so far.

The next step in Into Mind's 10 Step Wardrobe Revamp is to collect inspiration for the kind of wardrobe you would like to have. This was a very easy step for me as I have been collecting pictures of inspiration via Pinterest for a while now! 

My ideal wardrobe is one that has a mixture of pieces I can wear layered in many different combinations as well as a few beautiful key pieces.

Here is a look at some of my inspiration photos from my fashion Pinterest board...

image from Pinterest

image from Pinterest

image from Pinterest

image from Pinterest

image from Pinterest

image from Pinterest

image from Pinterest

image from Pinterest

Follow my Pinterest board to see what else I have pinned! In the next post, I will be discussing my personal style and how these pictures (and more on my Pinterest) fit into that.

xx

 

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil | First Impressions

You may remember I received this pack from The Body Shop from my amazing boyfriend for my birthday last year. I have been slowly working my way through the products and there are a few I would definitely purchase again.

One of these products is the Wild Argan Oil for skin and hair. Whilst I haven't tried this product on my skin as yet, I have been using it my hair recently and I am absolutely loving the result! I love trying to leave my hair as naturally curly as possible, however it tends to frizz quite badly throughout the day.

I have been using the Spray Gel for Curls by Toni & Guy on my hair for a few months now. I still love this product, however as much as it makes my curls stand out it doesn't have that all day protection from the frizz!

The pictures below show my third day curls using The Body Shop's Wild Argan Oil. I have never used a product that makes my hair stay this nice for so long! All I do in the morning is get up and go - no styling needed.

One of the things I really love about this product is that although it is an oil, it doesn't make my hair feel or look oily (as long as you keep it away from your roots!)

One spray on each side is enough to keep my hair frizz free for a good couple of days.

Have you every tried the Wild Argan Oil from The Body Shop before? I would love to know which products you use to help keep the frizz away!

What I'm Wearing
Crocheted Dress (Blazae- a few years ago)

xx

Wardrobe Revamp | Detox Your Wardrobe

As you may have seen in my last post, I have finally decided to undertake a pretty major wardrobe revamp! Step 1 from Into Mind's 10 Step Wardrobe Revamp was to establish what you do not like about your current wardrobe (click here to see what I dislike about my current wardrobe!) Step 2 is to clean out your wardrobe, and get rid of anything that does not match your new wardrobe style. 

I finally had a chance on the weekend to detox my wardrobe. The first step was to get everything out on the bed into piles "keep, donate, trash, revamp" 

Not much left!!

I ended up with a big garbage bag full of clothes to donate, as well as a bag full of things to throw out (mostly shoes!) 

I am not completely finished going through my clothes, and there are still a few things I will probably end up giving away (once I come to terms I no longer need them!)

Into Mind includes a fantastic closet detox cheat sheet for this step to help you through those tricky decisions!!

Now I have a really good idea where my wardrobe is lacking and what things I need to think about restocking! I also had a few things I really like, but need to revamp so look out for a post with before and afters for these. The next step is to gather inspiration for new wardrobe pieces - that post will be up next week.

xx