FASHION: MISSONI LOIS TUNIC & HIGH STREET ACCESSORIES

May 24, 2013

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Apologies that the pic is so blurry, I blame my photographer, El! We'd had some champagne and it was dark so we struggled a little.

I wanted to show you a quick outfit from last weekend when I went to my friend Laura's wedding. I wore this gorgeous Missoni Lois tunic* from Wish Want Wear. WWW is an absolute lifesaver when it comes to events where you just can't find the perfect dress. There are loads of dresses for hire for a fraction of the price - perfect. This one retails at £530 but is only £55 to hire.

I wore my favourite ridiculously high taupe Zara heels and this Accessorize clutch which I've had for years. My waist belt is just from H&M and was a necessity as I'm so tiny that this dress was far too long for me without it.

We all had such a fun time, lots of champagne (and gin) was consumed and an awful lot of catching up as I've not seen this group of friends in nearly a year. More weddings please!

Life is crazy at the moment.. work is very busy (I made a trip to Switzerland the other week for a two hour meeting and then came back to London) and I realised yesterday that I have to move out of my flat on Monday. This weekend I will mostly be packing it seems. Plus a cheeky trip to Harry Potter world again tomorrow, love that place.

BEAUTY: MAY EMPTIES

May 11, 2013

Before I start, how are you all? I can't believe it's May already. This year is just flying by. Tell me what you're up to this weekend, I want to know. I'm off to Yorkshire for my lovely friend Laura's wedding. I absolutely can't wait and I will of course try and share my outfit with you. It's the first time a friend has ever got married but I can't wait for more friends to get married and start having children so I can start buying baby clothes! I'm definitely growing up.

Less of the chit chat, let's talk empties...
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VO5 Ultimate Hold Weather Resistant Hairspray
This smells AMAZING. I really am not a fan of the smell of Elnett though I know how popular it is. This is my number one choice.

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation
I've raved about this a million times before. My favourite foundation.

Diptyque Lait Frais*
Really gorgeous light and fresh body lotion. It doesn't quite compare to my Kiehl's Creme de Corps but I did enjoy using this up.

Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes*
I know wipes are naughty but I got these in an Ole Henriksen set from WIMH. The set is perfect for travelling or throwing in your bag if you're staying at a friend's overnight and these wipes smell so fruity and yummy.

Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm
This is a beautiful, beautiful cleansing balm that I thoroughly recommend.

Clarins Liquid Bronze
Couldn't live without!



BEAUTY: SUMMER BODY READY - HANDS

May 09, 2013

With summer peeking through the clouds, I've been becoming more and more body and skin conscious.

The Kiehl's Creme de Corps is well and truly out of the cupboard and on my dressing table and I'm attempting to upkeep some sort of beauty regime which will see me through the summer months.

Number one on my list was sorting out my hands. I know I don't give them enough love (beyond wearing Marigolds to do the washing up) and whenever I see an older woman and her hands are looking aged, it gives me a little jump start to give my own some tender loving care. So here is my little pick-me-up...

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How much do you love the nail polishes? These are my spring favourites - Jessica's Dazed Dahlia* & Avon's Lemon Sugar. I top both off with the Illamasqua UV nail polish* which makes everything pop.

Talking about looking after your hands, Carex are celebrating their 20th birthday with their Hands on Awards competition. To enter you simply have to share, in whatever way you want, a day in the life of your hands. To enter, head over here, and you could win some amazing experience days and a year's supply of hand wash.

Next up? Feet! The time has come when I can finally stop buying ankle boots online (my favourite winter pastime, it's getting out of hand) and embrace sandals and Chanel-painted tootsies. Stay tuned.

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BEAUTY: BATTLE OF THE CLEANSING BALMS

May 08, 2013

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For me, balm cleansers are the one. If Caroline Hirons tells me to use a balm cleanser, I'm bloody well going to do it. If you haven't seen her video with Pixiwoo yet on Body Talk then I thoroughly recommend you check it out.

These are the four balm cleansers I've been using over the last six months or so and I thought I'd quick you a speedy little rundown.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm
Rubbish packaging (hard to get the last of, bit leaky, looks bigger than it is) but lovely product. Smells divine, melts into the skin beautifully and does a thoroughly good job of leaving skin nourished after removal.

Eve Lom Cleanser*
Very pricey. My most used at the moment. The smell might take a little getting used to but for me it feels like I'm giving myself a mini facial every evening when I use this. My favourite.

Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser
The most affordable of the bunch. I like the little 'beads' in this which quickly melt away but overall I don't feel like this is the luxury that I want my cleansing routine to feel like. Definitely one if you want to try a lovely, natural cleansing balm without shelling out an absolute fortune.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm*
The newest of the cleansing balms in my collection. This is a mighty big pot and it smells just beautiful. This is the only one which comes with a flannel and not a muslin cloth. I'm a huge flannel fan so have been using the Elemis flannel with my other balms too.

BEAUTY: INTRODUCING ZOEVA COSMETICS

May 05, 2013

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I almost don't need to say a single word..

..but that would be extremely out of character, so I will. I'm lucky enough that I have a job whereby I get to see an awful lot of beauty products. I see all the new releases from an awful lot of brands but rarely do I get extremely excited about something, until I spotted this Zoeva Cosmetics nude palette. Isn't she an absolute beauty? Some matts and some shimmers, this is going to get an awful lot of use.

I also got my hands on a few of their brushes which are pretty much exact dupes for MAC brushes, but considerably more affordable. The palette is just €16.95 and the brushes are €5-20.

I'm definitely going to order some more products from this brand, I'd never heard of them before!

BEAUTY: KIMANTRA MASSAGE CANDLE

May 04, 2013

 photo IMG_2985_zps94580f6c.jpg I really had to think hard about whether I should categorise this as beauty or lifestyle. Truth be told, it's kind of neither.

I've spoken about Kimantra before, it's a spa on Camden Passage in Islington where I go to get my brows done. Last time I was there I was given this Mandarin & Mimosa massage candle* after I got more than a little excited about it in the spa. Y'see it's not just an amazing scented candle - no, no - once it's burned a little you can blow it out and use the 'wax' as a massage oil.

The best thing is that it's really quite hot so when you pour it on your skin it feels like absolute heaven. I made the mistake of going for a 5.5 mile run last weekend and spent the following three days nursing my aching calves. Thank goodness I had this little gem waiting to be used as it's been a bit of a godsend.

Have you used a massage candle before?

P.S. I've started a new little section of my site called SHOP WITH ME where you can shop some things that I love and things that I've got my beady little eye on. Would love it if you'd take a look and let me know what you think!

BEAUTY: SOMETHING NEW FROM JO MALONE

April 29, 2013

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Jo Malone, the brand, was sold to Estée Lauder in 1999, and Jo Malone, the perfumier, has now gone on to create another brand - Jo Loves.

First things first, the packaging is lovely. I love Jo Malone's branding and this is quite different but it's very much a statement. I am absolutely loving all of the scents here. Even scents like mango nectar, which I wouldn't normally choose (too fruity), is absolutely gorgeous and makes me want to eat myself it is so delectable.

I have a feeling my foray into Jo Loves fragrances* has only just begun... which of the fragrances shown do you think you'd most like?

LIFE: PIZZA-MAKING

April 28, 2013

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Last week, some friends and I went along to a pizza-making lesson at Pizza Express to celebrate the launch of the new summer menu. It was a phenomenal evening of wine (their new Chianti) and amazing food. We made our very own leggera pizzas (mine was definitely not low calorie after I added every topping available - oops!) and finished it off with a gorgeous raspberry sorbet.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend. I'm having a proper spring cleaning session - throwing stuff out, getting all my summer clothes out and generally auditing life. Off I pop now, back to selling stuff on the internet!

P.S. Sorry that the lovely guy who offered to take some photos for me didn't quite manage to get them in focus. I hope you can get the gist!