WHAT I THINK OF THE ORDINARY

Okay, so I'm sure we've all seen this brand floating around on our Instagram feeds being posted by multiple fashion and beauty influencers. I first heard about this brand surprisingly at uni, we had a trend forecaster visit the school to speak in one of our lectures to tell us all about the upcoming brands we'll soon be seeing all over our social media, and she was on the money with this one. 

The products can be found online however, I visited the shop in Covent Garden. I was told that the products are really cheap but didn't quite believe it until I saw it. Pretty much all the products are under £5! Mad, I know. After speaking to the advisors that work there about what would be best for my skin, I quickly nabbed up these three.

My skin overview - it is very sensitive and prone to breakout with pretty much anything I put on my face, so it's not often I buy skin care anymore as my face has experienced everything under the sun. I also have a lot of redness and acne scarring that I would like to even out and fade away.

ABOVE

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% - 

High-Strength Vitamin and Mineral Blemish Formula 

SHOP HERE

I was advised to buy this product to keep away unwanted spots and fade any blemishes I already have. I've been putting it on at night after I've cleansed my face and have actually noticed a difference! I sometimes get little bumps under my skin, you know those annoying little dots that make your skin look uneven? Anyway, I get them on my cheeks and chin and have noticed they don't seem as prominent since I've been using this product! Which is a bloody miracle, so this one is a go guys. 

ABOVE

Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% 

Multifunctional Brightening Formula 

SHOP HERE

Okay, so this one I'm not sure if I'm a fan of or not. I was advised to buy it to even out my skin tone and reduce any blotchy redness (which I get A LOT). It feels nice to begin with when you put it on, kind of like a primer, but if you rub it in too much its one of those weird creams that starts to flake and clump, which clearly isn't ideal, especially the second you try to put any makeup on it. So I guess this product is good for someone that literally wears no makeup, but even then I'm not sure I saw a difference in the evenness of my skin tone. SO this one, in my opinion, is a no go. I'll keep trying it out to see if it improves but not looking good so far.

ABOVE

High-Adherence Silicone Primer

 High-Adherence Blurring Surface Smoother and Primer 

SHOP HERE

I'M IN LOVE. This product is amazing, and for the price, I can't even deal. I've used loads of different primers before and I've not always got on well with them and don't even use them as part of my daily makeup routine, but THIS is just too good not too. The texture is so soft on my face and it makes my skin look so flawless that there's hardly a pore in sight. I haven't had any problems with this at all, no clumping no drying out. It keeps my skin looking great all day and doesn't make me feel caked. Go and buy this product pronto.

Hope this has been helpful! I definitely recommend going into the shop to get advice from the sales team because when you look at the collection and start reading the names it can be quite intimidating. So yeah, have a research and try them out to see how you get on. They're so cheap it's worth a go, and you might even be like me and find the primer of your dreams!

Peace and Love, I'm off to Westfield now to find a new check blazer.

- Jessy 

Instagram - @outfitorbit

Contact - outfitorbit@outlook.com

TRYING TO BE A BETTER ME

Top - Missguided - SHOP HERE 
Trousers - Zara - (sold out) - Alternative SHOP HERE
Sunglasses - Tom Ford - (sold out) - Alternative SHOP HERE
Bag - Topshop - (sold out) - Alternative SHOP HERE 
Shoes - H&M - (sold out) - Alternative SHOP HERE 


Cringey title, I know. However I feel like I'm in need of a vent sesh.

Over the past month I've had a surge of determination to finally get myself together and start blogging properly, instead of just posting pictures here and there on Instagram.  I realised the reason I've never taken blogging seriously is because I've never liked the pictures I produced, and I've sussed the reason why being down to how I look. One thing I've noticed recently is that I've kind of 'let myself go', weight wise and health wise. So when I came back from holiday last month I decided to get fit, which meant joining the most expensive gym in town to force me to absolutely smash it and make the most of my money basically, and so far it's going well! I'm not weighing myself (mainly because I have no clue where the scales are) but I'm already starting to see a difference! My clothes are getting bigger and my confidence is going UP. 

All my besties will know me to be on a diet 70% of the time (30% being after nights out absorbing the alcohol with any carb I can find) and that I'm a pretty confident person, but I want to make a change. I want to feel like I look the best I possibly can (for the moment without surgery, we all know a nose job will happen one day) and then I feel like I will be 100% happy in my skin, I know it sounds extremely shallow but it's just how I am. I've always been into my health foods but now I'm starting to think 'is that good for me?' before I eat anything at the moment and only want foods that will fuel me to make me stronger in the gym. We all have these moments where we are dedicated to eating well, but usually for me it's over after a week. I've managed to keep this up for a month now and can actually see it staying apart of my lifestyle.

Another perk to this is that I feel more confident taking pictures to post! I like the content I'm producing now more than ever and when people take pictures for me I'm like 'oh my god YES' and feel excited to post! I've always put off blogging by saying 'oh I'll start it after that' or ''what's the point, there's so many bloggers already', but now that I know the reasons why I've never truly carried it on I'm going to absolutely smash it. So yeah, I'm going to keep this up and keep my confidence growing bigger and bigger.

Expect to see a lot more content and a lot more of me, as it's only up from here hunnies.

Peace and Love, I now need to shower and get snug in pjs.
- Jessy

Instagram - @outfitorbit
Contact - outfitorbit@outlook.com

TOP 5 TIPS FOR INTERNING ABROAD

At the start of this year I spent a few months interning abroad, I feel like the whole experience had so many ups and downs that it would be a good idea to share my top tips on how to make the most of your experience and prepare yourself for the task! 

I'm from a small town in good ol' countrified Suffolk in England and my internship was pretty damn far away in dreamy Miami, Florida so I literally couldn't have picked anywhere more opposite! 

So let's get into it:

TIP 1

DON'T SCRIMP ON THE SPENDING MONEY

Always take more money than you anticipate you'll need, especially if you haven't been to that specific place before as you just don't know the exchange rates and shipping costs your groceries take before hitting those shelves! You never know you might be like me and find out little things like deodorant costs $9 (literally) and then you'll be living on cheese bagels your whole trip! (Which were damn tasty I'm not gunna lie). You want to make the most of your time there and explore all the sites, clubs, bars and restaurants and when will you have the opportunity to go back to that place again?! England doesn't have Cheesecake Factory so you KNOW all my money went on that. Also you want to buy souvenirs and things you can't buy at home without paying a ridiculous shipping fee. For me it was places like Sephora and Abercrombie. Things like that will make your trip more memorable and you'll 100% not regret it I can tell you that.

TIP 2

PREPARE TO FEEL ALONE

I didn't expect to feel so scared when I arrived in the States, as I usually think of myself as a pretty independent and confident person. You don't realise until you're there that you are completely by yourself, yes you will have work friends but the rest of the time that you're not with them it can be quite daunting. Simple things like going to the supermarket, going out to eat and going to the beach all seemed like bigger tasks than ever. I think this is down to the fact that everyone familiar wasn't around me and was thousands of miles away so it's not even a possibility of seeing them. It eventually becomes easier when you figure out your routine and the area around you, I would make a point of schedueling time to test out the bus routes or even Uber/taxi to figure out the roads just to make you feel more content with your surroundings. Don't be afraid to go places alone, if there's a a place you're dying to eat (mine was Plant Theory - vegan hot dogs erm DUH) or you want to do all the touristy things in town don't let the loneliness stop you, you'll be stepping outside your comfort zone and trust me it will get easier.

TIP 3

TOP UP ON TECHNOLOGY

My saving grace when I was away was portable phone chargers, there's nothing worse than being out without a charged phone, especially when you're by yourself. I advise taking two with you and charging them at night when you get home, this way you can alternate them between days and always know you have that extra one in your bag to make you feel more content, as you never know what emergency can pop up. When you're there your phone is your main source for contacting back home! So to feel less alone when out and about you know you can snapchat, insta message and call all day long as you know you have that back up. Also make sure you sort your phone co
ntract before leaving the country, this might mean changing to a different carrier or just making sure your carrier allows you to use it abroad. I'm on O2 but switched to Three as they have great deals for using your phone abroad especially America, HOWEVER make sure they activate the SIM card before you leave the country (double check that as well) as unfortunetly I was left without a working sim for a good three days and god damn was that emotional (not even joking actual tears) as again I say it's your only contact with home. Take your old sim with you as a just in case as well.

TIP 4

PACK FOR ALL WEATHERS

You might think 'Yeah Miami, that's a hot place' but I'll tell you what isn't, a freezing cold air conditioned office you're working in 80% of the time. I literally only took one jumper and one jacket with me so ended up having to buy more clothes when I was there. You never know you might be going somewhere cold and discover the place you're working in is boiling hot with all those busy bodies running around, so make sure you have a variety of layers so that you're not either the person dying of pneumonia or a constant sweaty Betty. You just don't know how the weathers going to turn so pack a trusty umbrella, sandals and boots, just to cover all bases. Just pretend you're going for Autumn and Summer and use that mentality when packing.

TIP 5

BE PROFESSIONAL AND WORK YOUR ASS OFF

At the end of the day you're going abroad to do an internship that you can eventually add to your CV. So, do your best in the job you've taken on and make your bosses and coworkers feel satisfied that you are the person working beside them and make them feel glad that they picked you out of all the other candidates. Don't be afraid to ask questions (no matter how stupid they may seem), as everyone has to start somewhere and they know that! You want to feel like you've learnt something through the experience of working there so take on as much work as you can and if they ask 'have you done this before?' feel safe to say 'no but I would like to try it' and then eventually you'll know how to! Expect to do jobs that make you feel like 'why am I doing this' and if they become too repetitive speak to someone and ask when you'll get the chance to do something else or show interest in a role you would like to do and potentially shadow someone! They want to see that you're hard working but keen to learn new things and grow. So go ahead and smash it and feel satisfied that you did the best you could and that your reference will be nothing but amazing.

So yeah, I would say those are my top 5 tips to keep in mind in order to feel prepared and ready to take on your internship! So if you are planning on doing an internship or placement abroad I wish you all the luck in the world and KNOW you'll be able to face anything and make your trip worth while! 

Peace and Love, I'm off to eat a salad (getting skinny for summer *rolls eyes*)

- Jessy

Instagram - @outfitorbit

Contact - outfitorbit@outlook.com

HOW I STAY HEALTHY IN SPRING

    

This post is all about simple herbal remedies I use to stay healthy when a cold hits and how I get back to my normal self with the help of some immunity boosting remedies. 

Unfortunetly I've been caught by the Spring cold, and just when I've started back at uni which is a major bummer. I've not always been one of those people that believed in herbal remedies, however now that I'm older I've started to think a bit more hippy about things and think my body is telling me I need a reality check and there's a reason I'm feeling this way (trust me I've wanted to give in to that trusty paracetamol multiple times) so yeah these are a few bits I've found work best to me! 

I've found that B12 tablets have helped to give me a major mental boost when fighting this cold. They are commonly used by vegetarians as a supplement that's usually found in fish, dairy and meats. It basically helps to fight fatigue and tiredness to keep up going throughout the day.

 I pop two of these 'bad boys' every morning and have seen a real change!

Now onto the coconut oil, we all know it's a major craze at the moment that can be used for EVERYTHNG. I've found myself getting into oil pulling of late, this helps to remove bacteria from your mouth and actually helps to reduce the bad bacteria in your body. All you do is scoop out a large teaspoon of the hard coconut oil and put it in your mouth, then swish it around until it dissolves pulling it through your teeth (it's always an amazing natural teeth whitener!), then spit it out (I suggest spitting it into a tissue then putting it in the bin as the oil can clog sink drains). After this I brush my teeth then rinse my mouth with warm water to remove all of the excess oil. I've been doing this twice a day at the moment to seriously fight the cold! 

I've never been into drinking medicine as they taste so atificial and kind of bad for me? HOWEVER, this Echinacea drink has changed the game. It's a completely herbal medicine that targets flu symptoms, you simply put a 5ml teaspoon into hot water and drink it 5 times a day (I know it sounds like a lot but it actually works! The quick turnaround is AMAZING). After 3 days you up the dose to 10ml but only have three drinks a day. But yeah! This is working so well for me at the moment and I started to 100% better after a day! And it's all herbal so you feel alright about drinking so much of it, right? 

Anyway, hope these remedies help to keep you healthy and feel better when a nasty cold strikes! 

TOPSHOP BOUTIQUE - PINK PLEATS

I've always steered clear of pink because of my hair colour but I'd take a washed out skin tone any day for this little gem. Topshop boutique pieces are always guaranteed good quality items, you get the same quirk of ordinary Topshop pieces however, with a classic spin. This piece in particular is made with a thick crisp cotton, one side pleated the other straight, this material really does justice for the puffy babydoll pleats. I've paired the top with cropped cigarette pants, a heavy duty tote and simple black strappy shoes. This sweet pastel top will take pride of place in my late summer wardrobe.

Top - Topshop Boutique

Trousers - Topshop

Bag - Prada 

Shoes - H&M

Necklace - Swarovski 

FIND ALL ITEMS HERE

CAMBRIDGE CASUALS - THE FRILLY WHITE TOP

I'm all about white at the moment, every shop I've visited in the last few weeks has a very clean white trend set up in store. This trend usually includes the blue pinstripe theme, formal pieces and just very darling/romantic items - that include frills and bows for example. I picked this piece up in the Zara sale for only £9.99! I'm really liking tops that have something interesting about that at the moment, whether thats the material or the way it's been cut. The layering and frill flow on this top is what I think makes it unique, then the small bow details just top it off. It's a very clean piece that can be worn in the summer with shorts or simply peaking out under a jacket in autumn. 

THIS ITEM CAN BE FOUND IN SHOP.

Top - Zara

Trousers - Topshop

Shoes - Topshop

CAMBRIDGE CASUALS - THE SMART SILK BLAZER

I love statement pieces that can bring your whole outfit together and this particular jacket does exactly that. We all know that stripes are currently on trend and adding them to any outfit adds a striking 'put together' effect. Black blazers are such an easy find that can completely change an outfit, taking it from casual to classy. This jacket has a bit more to it with the subtle stripe element, silk material and double breasted detail - keeping it up to date and unique. There are so many ways you can keep outfits simple whilst having an individual style.

 To keep your look casual for summer I personally think if you plan to wear a black jacket/coat with an outfit you need to add black into other elements of the look, keeping it minimal through the use of accessories, mainly so your outfit doesn't look too formal - an example being, you could swap the jeans for black cigarette trousers and take the look from day to night. 

Blazer jacket - Topshop

Top - Zara

Jeans - Topshop 

Shoes - H&M

Bag - Chanel 

Sunglasses - Quay

ALL LINKS IN SHOP

 I'll add the pieces that are currently available and similar pieces for the ones that aren't.

Photographer - Anna Fletcher