Product Of The Month

Hi everybody!
Today's blog post is one that is long overdue and I do apologise for it. Its always the same excuses, being swamped with work and plenty of running around town. But now that its cleared out, lets get on with the Product Of The Month for March!

Very excited about this one as the first time I heard about it, I fell in love with it and I knew I just had to get one for myself because it basically combines two of my favourite things in the world; makeup and chocolate. It is the Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palette by Too Faced. Now, I know I do love my eye shadow palettes quite a bit. However, this is not your everyday eye shadow palette. The Chocolate Bar Collection uses real cocoa powder in the formula which to me seemed quite bazaar initially but apparently, the chocolate is used for its healing properties to protect, condition and heal skin that has been damaged by sun and wind. The combination of healing chocolate together with richly pigmented and velvet-smooth shadows is definitely a win-win situation.

When we talk about a "Chocolate Bar" eye shadow palette, it might seem like it consists of dark, musky and heavy shadow colours. However, it is the complete opposite. Too Faced has managed to create a good combination of chocolate browns, nude beiges and even soft pinks. these sixteen colours are all very wearable for everyday or you can build it up for a night out as well. Not only do they have sinfully delicious names such as Gilded Ganache, Triple Fudge and Champagne Truffle, but the have a beautiful scent as well. Due to the addition of real cocoa, these shadows have a sweet scent to them which makes me crave for chocolate but at the same time its not too overpowering which is amazing.

The packaging for the Chocolate Bar palette is of course a traditional bar of chocolate. Its made of strong metal with a good mirror size  which is handy for on-the-go uses and it has a magnetic closure as well. Out of these16 colours, there are 2 highlighters and 14 shadows with a good mix of shimmer and matte shades. The shadows all have smooth and buttery textures and I find that it does have minimal fall out. Application and blending is a dream as the textures are amazing. I also find that they do not crease and they stay perfectly throughout a long day even without using a primer. This palette focuses on nude shades similar to the Naked 3 Palette by Urban Decay which might spark some competition but I love them both equally and they are both perfect for spring/summer.

• Glided Ganache - dark brown with some gold shimmer
• White Chocolate - matte cream highlighter
• Milk Chocolate - matte taupe
• Black Forest Truffle - shimmery burgundy
• Triple Fudge - dark matte brown
• Salted Caramel - orange-caramel brown
• Marzipan - peachy pearl shade
• Semi-sweet - medium brown, matte
• Strawberry Bon Bon - matte baby pink
• Candied Violet - glittery purple-violet
• Amaretto - medium-dark brown
• Hazelnut - golden brown shade
• Creme Brûlée - metallic gold
• Haute Chocolate - chocolate brion with a gold undertone
• Cherry Cordial - burgundy with gold, matte
• Champagne Truffle - pale, salmon-pink highlighter

I have been using this palette mainly for everyday purposes. I think all the colours are perfect for just  day-to-day uses. My favourite shades has to be the Amaretto and Marzipan. I also love using the Champagne Truffle highlighter, I find that the salmon pink works really well as a good highlighter. I got mine at Debenhams for £45.00.  

If you have tried the Chocolate Bar palette then do leave a comment below sharing your thoughts on the product. Check out my last Product Of The Month blog post if you get the chance. Again, like always, don't forget to check out my other social media sites as well.

Have a great day all ! Xx

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy

Instagram: @fashion_jessie

Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

If you are interested in buying the Chocolate Bar palette from Debenhams, click here

Check out my latest Product Of The Month post here

5 Quick and Healthy Snack Ideas

Hi everybody!
In early January, I did a post on '5 Quick and Healthy Breakfast Ideas'.
Today, I will be doing somewhat of a continuation from that post. I will be doing 5 Quick and Healthy Snack Ideas as you can tell from the title above. All of this "eating healthy" started with my new year's resolutions for 2014 and my strong intentions to try and eat a lot healthier this year. I, along with the billions of people all around the world took 2014 as a fresh start with less junk food and sweets and more fresh fruits and greens. Breakfast was my first step at having a healthier diet but the next thing that I had to fix was my obsession with snacking.

I have met and know of so many people who love to snack unhealthily and that sounds like a serious problem that we share and should probably turn to professional help but do not push the panic button just yet, as I have found some really good, really healthy snacks for everyday. YES, you read it right, you can snack every single day without the guilt and without the extra calories.

I have searched for healthy snacks in the past and the majority of results shown were mainly humous and veggie dips. As I am not the biggest fan of celery and carrot sticks along side a humous dip, I decided to take a different approach. You might notice that most of the items listed below are to do with fruits as I find it much easier to snack with fruits than vegetables. Here are the 5 quick and healthy snacks that I have been loving for the past few months.


Minty Raspberry-Banana Smoothie

This smoothie is so delicious, incredibly fresh and recently I have been taking this on-the-go as my breakfast but I love it as a snack as well. It really does fill you up well if you are thinking of having it for breakfast as well because of the banana that is in it. I think this would be a great drink for the summer days as it is refreshing and hopefully will cool you down when it is really hot outside.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 medium cucumber, chopped
• 1 frozen banana
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh mint
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 cup ice cubes

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Frozen Yogurt Berries

This is one of my absolute favourites because I love berries and yogurt, but freezing them just makes it that much better. I don't have a solid recipe for it and I usually play by ear every time I do this but it always turns out perfectly fine so the amounts are added by appropriate proportions. A good idea is to make this in quite large batches during the weekend or when you get some free time and freeze them for the rest of the week when you are busy and need a good snack.

Ingredients:

• Vanilla Greek yogurt
• Honey
• Raspberries and strawberries

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix together the greek yogurt and honey.
2. Using a cocktail stick, dip the berries in the yogurt and coat it completely. Place on a baking sheet or a large platter
3. Freeze for a few hours.

Apple and Cabbage Salad

If you are looking for a good weekend-style snack then this one is perfect especially if you are having some mates over because it is incredibly easy to do this in larger quantities and shouldn't take too long to prepare. Now I know a 'salad' does not seem like the most inviting snack but I promise you this one is not your typical everyday salad. Also, this is really good if you are having a "detox day" as well. This might seem like a long list of ingredients but don't let that hold you back from creating this recipe as it is just a matter of mixing the ingredients together.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head Savoy cabbage
• 1/2 head red cabbage
• 1 Fuji apple
• 1/4 red onion
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Method:

1. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, thinly slice the cabbage, apple and red onion and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add the walnuts and raisins. Toss gently to combine
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, cayenne pepper, greek yogurt, salt and fennel seeds.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix until evenly dressed.

Homemade Trail Mix

I love these as it is really easy to pack up so you can take it to work, school or if anytime you are constantly on the go. Honestly, this is so delicious and you can mix it up with different types of nuts or dried fruit or add in more ingredients and have fun with it. This is a recipe where measurements are not exactly the most important element and you can really go for how much or little of an ingredient you would like depending on your preference. When I make this I usually tend to ratio out the ingredients by handfulls.

Ingredients:

• 14g whole almonds
• 7g unsalted dry roasted peanuts
• 7g dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 tsp chocolate chips

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Chunky Peach Popsicles

Again, making this in large batches is a good idea and you will not regret doing so when you are having a busy week and need a snack to keep going. This is probably one of the healthiest popsicle out there but it tastes just as good as one that you can get from ice cream vans but without the ridiculous amounts of sugar and artificial colouring.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium peaches, halved and pitted
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

Method:

1. Coarsely chop peaches in a food processor. Transfer 1 cup of chunky leacher into a bowl. Add lemon juice, orange juice and sugar to taste to the rest of the peaches in the food processor and mix with vanilla extract.
2. Puree until smooth and then add it back into the bowl of chunky peaches.
3. Divide them into popsicle moulds or paper cups and freeze for about and hour. Add in popsicle sticks and continue to freeze for another hour or until completely firm.

These are more snack ideas that are pretty self-explanatory and straight forward. Plus, they take literally seconds to put together, perfect for last minute snacks.

1. Air popped corn
2. Hard boiled eggs
3. Almonds and sunflower seeds
4. Sliced apples
5. Orange slices
6. Frozen grapes
7. Broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes
8. Olives
9. Non-fat yogurt
10. Protein bars

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post and it has given you some ideas or inspiration to snack healthier and has helped you in your snack attack. Snacking isn't bad but snacking UNHEALTHILY can be one of the worst habits one can have. Please comment below if you would like to see more posts on healthy meals and healthy eating. Also, feel free to share any of your healthy snacks and don't forget to check out my other social media sites as well.

Have a great day all ! Xx

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy
Instagram: @fashion_jessie
Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

Check out my 5 Quick and Healthy Breakfast Ideas: http://jessieash.blogspot.com/2014/01/5-quick-and-healthy-breakfast-ideas.html

#instagram100th

Hi everybody !
So today will just be a short one. I actually did not plan on writing this post but decided to do it anyways as I had some free time and I also thought it would be nice to share some good news with all of you.

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that just yesterday, I posted my 100th post on Instagram which is the collage above. As of my 100th picture, I am now at 219 followers and my first picture was 14 weeks ago. I would like to thank all of 219 you and to anyone who has taken time to like my pictures or go through my profile. So cheers to more posts to come in the near future.

So go check out my Instagram and give the pictures a like and don't forget to follow me as well. All my social media sites are listed below. Have a great day loves ! Xx

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy
Instagram: @fashion_jessie
Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

#100

Song Of The Week #3

Hi everybody!
So I have not done one of these in quite awhile and I am really excited to share this one with you so lets get on with it!

All Of Me - John Legend

I have been in love with this song for the past few weeks actually so I thought that it was only right for me to add this into my Song Of The Week posts. The lyrics are amazing and it really tells a story. John Legend did a wonderful job with this one as the song really brought out a lot of strong emotion that is incredibly relatable. From his wide range of vocals to the piano background, this song has quickly become one of my favourite songs of all time. Not surprisingly, this has been on replay no matter the time of day or night. The music video is pretty sweet too with a fairytale happy ending. So go check that out and give the song a listen as well if you have not done so already. Don't forget to check out my other social media sites and feel free to comment below sharing your thoughts and opinions on the song or video.

"You're my downfall, you're my muse. My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues.."

Have a good one ! Xx

What is your favourite song of the week?

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy
Instagram: @fashion_jessie
Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

Previous song of the week post: http://jessieash.blogspot.com/2014/02/song-of-week-2.html
Previous blog post on Pretty In Pink Perfection: http://jessieash.blogspot.com/2014/03/pretty-in-pink-perfection_19.html

Pretty In Pink Perfection

Hi everybody! ♥

Yes girls, we are going back in time to when we were 7 years of age and everything we wore/owned/used had to be in shades of pink and only pink.

Were you one of those girls, because I assure you I definitely was and I loved every moment of that phase of my life.

Since spring is coming closer and closer everyday, in fact some of you guys in other parts of the world might already be enjoying spring but we are just about reaching spring days here and I love it.
With the sunny season, I love to add a nice pop of colour to my everyday outfits. I think pink is one of the best and one of my favourite, if not my favourite colour to add some brightness to my very often monochrome coloured outfits. I find that it also gives any outfit a nice lift and makes it a little brighter and more cheerful. Of course you can go all out with a hot pink or play it slightly safer with baby pinks or peachy pinks.

Blazers/Jackets
With  spring time, it is so nice just to have a good blazer to throw on and take off in case it gets chilly during night time or when its slightly more windy during the day. But why stop at your usual black and whites ? Try baby blues, tiffany greens, pastels or try PINK ! The perfect spring essential with the perfect spring shade to go along with it, so why not ? Give it a try and I promise you will not regret it.

Dresses

Whether you are having a night out on the town or just hanging around, enjoying the spring beauty, pink dresses will be suitable for all occasions. It makes you look a little more cheerful and gives a little more glow which goes perfectly with sunny days.

Tops

Shorts/Trousers/Pants?Skirts

Shoes

Going for pink shoes might be slightly odd for some but it will definitely steal some looks and fetch compliments. Don't be scared when getting pink shoes, be bold instead. If you think that pink heels are too much, try flats, sneakers or lighter shades of pink that will give a softer overall look.

Handbags/Purses

Accessories and Nails

Try having your "pink pop of colour" through statement necklaces, scarves of any piece of accessory. It gives a surprising lift that will definitely get some compliments. Even pink nails can brighten up your look so go for the neons or if you're like me, the baby pinks !

Well, I hope that has given you some ideas on how to incorporate pinks into your daily outfits or has given you some outfit ideas for the future. I really do hope that you have enjoyed this blog post and comment below if you would like to see more of these "colour themed blog posts". Check out my blog post, slightly similar to this one on little black dresses. Also don't forget to check out my other social media sites when you get the chance. If you would like to read my previous post where I shared my online spring haul then do check that out as well. 

Have a great day, loves xx ♥

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy

Instagram: @fashion_jessie

Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

Check out my blog post on little black dresses here

My previous blog post on my online haul here