Trying a New Organic Body Oil

I use body oils nearly every single day, and they're most definitely my favourite product when it comes to keeping the skin on my body feeling soft and hydrated. Recently, I picked up a new body oil  and it's from a Lithuanian brand that I hadn't previously heard about - You & Oil. 

Monica Vinader Petra Stud Earrings Review

Say hello to my latest jewellery acquisition.

I don't know about you, but I think that they're pretty beautiful.

These are my second pair of Monica Vinader earrings, and they're the Petra Stud Earrings in Moonstone with gold-plate.

When I was looking into what Monica Vinader earrings I might like to buy next, I was really drawn to the Siren range which is quite classic with lots of smooth, round shapes. However, as the last pair of Monica Vinader earrings that I bought were the Siren Wire Cocktail earrings, I thought that I would try something from a different collection. 

5 Affordable Beauty Treats (All Under £10)

I don't think that it's unusual to get the ocassional urge to go shopping, but sometimes you want to treat yourself without spending too much money. This is when I usually turn to my favourite affordable beauty treats, because they're a great way to satisfy my craving for something special and new without breaking the bank. In today's blog post, I've gathered together five of my favourite affordable beauty products, all of which I would highly recommend!

Monica Vinader Mini Marie Pendant on a Rolo Chain

Without a doubt, Monica Vinader has become my jewellery obsession for 2017. So far this year I've been very naughty and have already bought four gorgeous pieces. Ss of yet I've only blogged about one of them - my Monica Vinader Siren Wire Cocktail Earrings - but I do plan on featuring each piece over the next few months. Now that I'm twenty-four (on the cusp of twenty-five), I've started to enjoy spending a little bit more on my accessories and am slowly and happily cultivating a jewellery collection that works with my lifestyle.

5 Months of Beauty Favourites

It is safe to say that I've been slacking on the blogging front - for this blog, at least, as I do actually have a shiny new blog which has taken up quite a bit of my time over the last few months. However, today I'm here to catch you up on all of my 2017 beauty favourites, and I'll walk through all of the products that I've been using regularly over the last five months. Prepare yourself for a hefty dose of beauty recommendations, most of which I would happily repurchase again and again (sadly, L'Oreal let the team down on this one)

Review: Caudalie Vine Activ

A couple of months ago, I was very kindly invited along to Caudalie's VineActiv press event and I was gifted the three new VineActiv products (and the re-packaged Overnight Detox Oil). At the event, I learnt a lot about the VineActiv range and realised that they happened to be pretty spot-on for my skin type and my lifestyle. They're specifically designed for those aged 25-35 years old and they're highly suitable for anyone living in a city where there is a lot of pollution. As I turn 25 years old in July, and I live in London, I felt like I was a good candidate to test them out. I've been using them for a few months now and I'm ready to report back on my experience with them.

6 Mad Men Lipstick Shades (For Every Budget)

Over the last few months I've been watching Mad Men. In fact, I've watched every episode and during each one I've experienced some form of makeup envy. Not only did Mad Men remind me that everyday attire used to be incredibly formal, but the makeup was very different too; "bold"makeup (by my standards, anyway) was once considered an every day necessity. During the 60s, red lipstick wasn't reserved for dinner dates and parties, in fact, it was practically mandatory - serving as a big red indicator that a woman was fully and properly dressed. 

4 Affordable Body Care Products

Not so long ago, I wrote a blog post about L'Occitane's Almond Milk Concentrate, which is undeniably my favourite body moisturiser. However, you should definitely know that alhtough I moisturise every day, it's not always with a L'Occitane product. As much as I wish I could, I just couldn't afford to nurse that habit! L'Occitane is reserved for special occasions - especially date-nights, where I like to think that the sexy almond scent does me some favours -and on other days I rely on my more affordable products to keep my skin soft and smooth. Today I'm going to review four of the affordable body care products that I've been using, which I hope will help you if you're looking to get great value for money.

Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Day and Eye Cream Review

If you've been following my blog for a while then you'll know that Antipodes are one of my favourite beauty brands. I've been buying their products for years, and I'm also very grateful to recieve PR samples from them once or twice a year. Towards the end of 2016, Antipodes sent me their newly released Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Light Day Cream* and Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Eye Cream* so that I could test them out for myself. Well, guess what, I've been using these for a while and the results are now in.

Monica Vinader Siren Wire Cocktail Earrings

Say hello to my new accessory love. 

Monica Vinader is a brand that I've heard much about on social media and YouTube, and it seems to be so popular that it's infiltrated my non-blogging life too. It's clear to me that key influencers are being sent gifts from the brand, and I've seen the trickle-down effect influence other YouTubers and bloggers as well as many of my real-life/non-internet-based friends. Quite simply, Monica Vinader is going down a storm with women my age (mid-twenties) and I have no doubts that it will also appeal to many others. 

L'Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate

I just can’t help myself, okay. I am willing to admit that £38.00 for a body lotion is verging on the absurd, edging upon obscene, but have you smelt L'Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate ? There is something magical, mystical and just plain wonderful and its scent. Plus, for me it’s so nostalgic that they could probably whip the price up by 20% and I’d still be coming back for more…

Let's Talk About Bath Time

One of the best things about my new home is that I finally have access to a bath - and I've been making good use ot it! I moved at the end of December 2016, so I've been experimenting during these first few months and I've tried quite a few new products. I bought a handful of Lush bath bombs in their Boxing Day sale, but generally I prefer using the same product over and over for a sense of routine. I usually only use the bath bombs when I'm craving some colour (and a new instagram pic), otherwise I've been using the same three products on rotation.

My Alex Monroe Apple & Pear Necklaces

In my post about Alex Monroe's Bee Necklace I mentioned that I already owned two other Alex Monroe pieces. These were also Christmas gifts (but back from December 2015) and, unlike my bee, they were a total surprise. I remember mentioning, completely in passing, my new-found interest in Alex Monroe as a brand - and for once it really wasn't intentional hinting! When it comes to jewellery, or really anything "designer", I like to mull over purchases because these are the things that you'll end up owning for years to come.

My Current Haircare Routine

A little while ago I wrote a blog post about Moroccan Oil and how I've been trying to take better care of my hair. I thought it might be helpful to add some context and detail my full haircare routine, as it's one part of my beauty regime that I'm actually really happy with.

Missoma Jewellery: Mixed First Impressions

In the big competitive world of retailing, Missoma are doing so many things right. First off, they've got some key YouTube influencers on their side which means that I've heard their brand name and seen their jewellery countless times. To be honest with you, this is the main reason that I went on to buy something from them. I wanted to invest in some new earrings but I didn't know where to look, so I googled Missoma. I knew their name, it was easy to find their website, and I'd already heard countless recommendations from influencers that I trust. The marketing strategy clearly worked on me, and now I'm in the posession of a pair of Missoma's Silver Claw Amethyst Studs (RRP £49.00 / £12.35 on sale).

5 Mini Makeup Reviews

There was a time on this blog where I used to post daily, and I was a lot quicker at reviewing the products that I was using and loving. Nowadays life is a bit more hectic, and posting twice a week is about as much as I can manage right now. In the spirit of not leaving anything out, today I thought I'd feature five of the new beauty products I've been using over the last couple of months and I'd talk you through what I liked (or didn't like) about them. I've tried to include a mix of products - because, honestly, given the chance I can rant and rave just about lipstick for hours - and I hope that you enjoy this post and that it's helpful to anyone looking to make some purchasing decisions. 

My Favourite Face Masks

I love face masks. Applying a face mask feels ritualistic, and wonderfully healing and restorative - a once-a-week chance to do my skin some special good. Marketeers jump on this bandwagon because it's great for sales, because what self-loving woman wouldn't want to quench her skin's thirst? Or to "bio-repair" and rejuvenate her skin? But so long as you're able to take any and all of these claims with a big pinch of salt, face masks and any other of sort of weekly treatments can be fun and still do your skin some good. Personally, I use face masks twice a week and for me they're very much connected with self-love and taking time away from my everyday worries. I apply my face masks whilst I run a bath, or at the end of the day before I go to bed. When I pick them up I know I'm about to take a moment to pamper myself in a way that I enjoy, and all of my favourite face masks do something wonderful for my skin. 

A Mango Must-Have: High Street Jewellery

I'm ususally not one to be swayed by highstreet jewellery. When it comes to accessories, I'm pretty focused on building up a considered and well-balanced designer/mid-range collection. However, sometimes you're online shopping and you just spot something that you know you need to have. I don't get this feeling very often, in fact I think the last time I felt this way was approximately 18 months ago when I first saw the Zara bag that looked just like a Gucci Soft Stirrup. I managed to scoop that baby up in the sale, and it has brought me great happiness ever since.

MissPrint Little Trees Bedding from John Lewis

I stumbled across MissPrint's range of bedding back in November, during a weekend amble around John Lewis. MissPrint is a design company that produces printed materials (fabric, wallpaper and window-film) featuring hand-illustrated from co-founder Rebecca Drury. The brand's bedding, made from their most popular patterns, is exclusively available from John Lewis in a range of sizes.

My Tiffany Necklace Collection

When I was growing up Tiffany necklaces were the covetable item. Every time a milestone birthday came around, it would be a very safe bet that someone I knew would be unwrapping their very first little blue box; and I was no exception. On my sixteenth birthday I very gratefully received a Tiffany Open Heart Necklace from my dad, and I was smitten. It was everything I had wanted it to be, and I loved it dearly until it abruptly disappeared from my life.

My New L'Oreal Trio: Mini Makeup Reviews

What started this whole mini L'oreal haul was my hunt for a lipgloss. I adore the Mac Cremesheen Gloss formula but pre-Christmas I just wasn't in the mood to splurge on makeup as I'd overdone it on jewellery (keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming Tiffany collection blog post). In the past I've read good things about L'Oreal's Infallible Gloss collection and so I set out to swatch some of their cream colours. The stand in my local Superdrug only had two shades in L'Oreal's Cream formulation (which is quite similar to Mac's Cremesheen Gloss formulation) and I ended up buying one of them. I chose L'Oreal's Infallible Cream Finish Mega Gloss in Shade 110 / I Got the Power (£6.99) and I think it might just be the perfect nude lipgloss. It feels thick and plumping without being too heavy or greasy, and I think that the colour would suit many skin tones. I also love the applicator, which delivers a great amount of product onto the lips and makes it easy to achieve an even and neat finish. Honestly, I think that it's great value for money and I'd definitely consider purchasing another shade of these Infallible Mega Glosses if I found another cream shade that I liked.

Investing In Your Hair

In my blog post about my friday night routine I mentioned that I was making more of an effort to look after my hair. In 2016, I really did a good job of growing out my hair and taking better care of it, and this year I'm hoping to continue the trend and improve upon my existing habits. I know Moroccan Oil isn't exactly a "secret" in the beauty world, but I personally have friends who don't know about it and don't use it - so in this post I'm really speaking to everyone who hasn't tried Moroccan Oil, or who doesn't use it anymore, because I think that it is a fantastic product that's still worth talking about.

Simple Winter Skincare

Over the last couple of months I've enjoyed the same simple and effective routine. Every morning and evening I cleanse my skin with Acorelle's Youth Protecting Cleansing Oil (£17.00), and then I follow up with either a gel/cream moisturiser in the morning or a balm/oil in the evening. I haven't really used any serums (which is unusual for me), but I've enjoyed this minimalist approach - and so has my skin.

Z for Accessorize: Affordable Gold Plated Jewellery

Z for Accessorize is probably the only high street jewellery range that I repeatedly browse and buy. The dainty, and mostly gold-plated, pieces are highly wearable and attractively affordable. With prices falling between £10-£25, the Z for Accessorize line is a good place to look if you fancy treating yourself to a little something without breaking the bank.

Calzedonia: The Must-Stop-Shop for Socks

Socks might not necessarily seem like a glamorous topic of conversation, but when it comes to comfort one’s feet are a pretty good place to start!

My Longchamp Le Pliage Extra Large Travel Bag

In London, it’s hard to walk down any street without seeing one of Longchamp’s Le Pliage bags. In fact, their popularity is so intense in the capital that I’d be willing to bet that every woman that I know owns one.

Alex Monroe Gold Bumblebee Necklace

The eponymous Alex Monroe brand was established in 1987, with its first studio located in south London. The man behind the brand studied jewellery at the Sir John Cass Faculty of Art and has been making his own pieces ever since. He now designs four collections per year, including limited edition releases to celebrate events (e.g. the Chelsea flower show in 2014) as well as commissioned pieces for clients such as Buckingham Palace.