Summer Dress Styling with JD Williams

July 25, 2016

This weekend just gone my good friend Emelia and I decided to go on a spontaneous spa weekend, as we've both been working so hard recently and we just wanted a little relaxation and destress time. I took the opportunity with having someone on hand to take some outfit pictures, as I rarely show the fashion side to me and i've really been enjoying styling up my outfits over these past few weeks!

When it comes to summer I love being able to play around more with my outfits, as I find summer dressing so much more fun in comparison to winter dressing. I really enjoy wearing floaty casual silhouettes and fun summery prints, as I feel so much more confident as it allows me to really show my personality through they way that I dress.

I was recently contacted by the lovely team at JD Williams to share my summer dress styling tips by styling up one of their beautiful dresses and sharing it with you guys! As I do want to incorporate more fashion/lifestyle aspects into this blog as I do actually work in fashion, I thought i'd do something a little out of my comfort zone and share with you all how I like to style up my summer outfits, whilst still keeping it fairly casual and true to my own style.

With the boho and off the shoulder styling being such a massive trend at the moment I decided to pick out this Off The Shoulder Boho Dress* (£14), as I really liked the beautiful floral boho monochrome print. I'm a big lover of wearing black and white, and then adding some sort of colour through my accessories so this dress was perfect for my personal style. I also really like the off the shoulder detail, as it allows you to feel a little more sexy and I find these shapes to be really flattering, especially if you're not one to expose your bust area like me. What is great about this dress is how floaty and loose fitting it is, as i'm not a huge wearer of figure hugging dresses as I find they can be so unflattering but this nips in quite nicely at the waist to give a bit of shape, but it also means that it can hide a multitude of sins!

I've been loving wearing these Pretty Little Thing Lace Up Heels (£25) recently, as they are so comfortable to wear but I also love the lace up detailing to them. I find that they ultimately dress up any outfit and I can wear them for so many different occasions, which is great as i'm always about versatility. Sticking with the boho styling of the dress, I decided to team it with my H&M Tassle Handbag (£24.99), which i've had for a couple of years now and is still in amazing condition! It holds everything that I need on a daily basis and it also looks super cute!

If you're on the look for some beautiful summer dresses, then i'd highly recommend checking out JD Williams as they have a lovely range of dresses for many different styles and body shapes, and not to forget they are super affordable!

What is your favourite summer fashion piece?

beauty

Lancome Grandiose Liner

July 21, 2016

I've noticed recently that it has been a long time since i've fully reviewing a singular product, where I hole heartedly dedicate a post to one product. Although i've still been reviewing products, I feel that when i'm talking about more than one product I sometimes miss out details or don't give a good enough review. So I thought today I'd tell you all about a recent release from Lancome that i've been really enjoying as of late, and I think any winged liner fans out there will too!

Lancome is a brand that I am fairly new to in all honesty, mainly because it's a brand that i've never learnt that much about nor is it a brand that I see a lot of. That was until recently, i've noticed that Lancome have somewhat upped their PR and are now coming to us bloggers to help promote their newly released products. I do love when brands fully see the potential in bloggers, but also when they see the potential in us less well known bloggers.

A product that has been recently released and an addition to the brands iconic Grandoise line, comes the new Lancome Grandoise Liner* (£23), which is an innovative new product that is like no liner that i've ever come across. What makes it so innovative is that it's unique bendable design has been created to help us winged liner noobs that constantly fail at perfecting the winged liner look. When I first received this product I initially was thinking 'oh god, a bendable liner what a mess that is going to be' but that was until I realised that it's not the nib that is bendy, it's actually the plastic handle that clicks into a few different positions in order to get the perfect angle and pivot to get the perfect winged liner look.

As i've recently in the last six months really gotten back on the winged liner 'hype' if you will, this product really excited me as I can be quite picky when it comes to liners. I'm not a huge fan of felt tip liners as they aren't dark enough for my liking, and those thin bristled liners are just a mess waiting to happen. This eyeliner however has a tapered nib, which is very similar to my well loved Collection Fast Stroke (£), but this has completely blown that out of the water as I have managed to nail my liner perfect every single time that i've used this product, it's bloody brilliant!

What I love about this is that the bendable handle really allows you to get such a precise angle, where you can see exactly what you're doing and you can really get into the roots of your lashes to ensure a precise finish. I also find that I can almost achieve perfect symmetry between the two eyes, which i've never been able to come near with previous products so that for me is a big bonus! Lastly, the formula of the product itself, again is amazing as it is dark and has a beautiful matte finish that I love but it also lasts amazingly throughout the day, as i've truly trialled and tested over the past few weeks.

If you're on the hunt for a new eye liner, one that is designed for us winged liner noobs then this is the liner for you!

Have you tried out any good eyeliners recently?

lifestyle

Saving Money/Saving for a Mortgage Tips

July 18, 2016

Continuing on my tips and tricks posts that you've all been loving so much recently, and today I thought i'd go into the more serious grown up topic of saving money. I'm currently in the midst of trying to save ultimately to get myself on the property ladder, of which i've received a lot of advice on and the best ways in which to save, so I thought i'd pass on some of the knowledge and tips i've been given.

Since starting my first proper full time job with a salary, I swore to myself that I would get serious with saving as i've saved here and there over the years but i've never really set myself goals or reason in which to save for. Being 22, almost 23 years old i'm definitely at that age where I want to move out and just gain some independence, but i've never been one to want to rent. I just think it is dead money, and I would never judge anyone for renting, as it is a great way to gain independence and some people don't really have a choice but to rent but personally it is not for me.

So my only option really is to save my ass off for a deposit for a house, and although i'm not on a big enough salary to have a mortgage big enough at this present, I wanted to at least begin saving so i've actually got something to show in a few years time rather than dwindling money down the drain. So after than somewhat long ramble, here are a few tips on saving money and ways in which you can save money.

Help to buy ISAs - Ever since I was young, the word ISA was something that I knew as a savings account but having never really thought about my savings before i've never had an ISA. When I first voiced my interest in starting to save for a mortgage my parents introduced me to the idea of a Help To Buy ISA, which is something that is relatively new but great if you're a first time buyer like me. The best thing about a Help To Buy ISA is that you save an amount of £200 per month, no more and no less and for every £200 you save the government will give you an extra £50 on top of that, with a maximum government bonus of £3,00 which I think is bloody amazing! The best thing about this type of ISA is that you can still take money out, especially in the case of an emergency but you then can't just pay that money back in so it gives you more of an incentive to not touch it. You can read more about Help To Buy ISAs here, especially if you want to find out more info but if you're a first time buyer i'd definitely recommend getting yourself a Help To Buy ISA.

Having another savings account - Now if you do have a Help To Buy ISA, legally you are not allowed to have a second cash ISA, as you aren't allowed more than one ISA anyway (although some banks say you can, you can't). So I have another savings account that is open, I can take money out and put money in whenever I want but it just has a slightly higher interest rate than a normal current account and I have this on the side to put in extra savings, including left over money at the end of the month. Having another savings account for me, gives me more momentum to save as much as I can.

Save money leftover at the end of the month - Now for me, as I save quite a lot and have several outgoings, having money left over at the end of the month is a rare occasion but even if it's £20 I instantly move that into my other savings account as that money will add up over the months and it may come in so handy especially on a rainy day.

Budget, budget, budget - If you're on a salary like myself, you know how much you get paid every month and you can then figure out what money you have left once all of your outgoings have been paid, which allows you to budget. For me, I always budget so I know what I can and can't spend each month and it allows me to somewhat have control over what i'm doing, and if my budget doesn't allow it then I don't do it. I will say that budgeting can be hard, but once you've gotten into the groove of it, it is actually really easy and if it means you go for the cheaper dish on the menu, then so be it.

Reduce your outgoings - For the majority of people my age, the main outgoings you will have is a phone bill, gym membership and possibly car finance/insurance. Now I know reducing your outgoings often isn't the easiest, but i'm sure if you look through your bank statement there is something you can reduce or change. Whether it be a neglected gym membership or skipping on that takeaway coffee every morning or saying no to a dominoes, even if they do text you the most irresistible deal every single Friday when the clock strike 5. You can do it!

Make saving a priority - Saving is hard, we can all agree on that but if you dedicate yourself to saving you will honestly thank yourself in the long run. The tips above should definitely get you on the journey to saving, and it's amazing to see what you can achieve although it can be darn hard!

So those are some tips that i've learnt over the past year of saving and I really do hope that it has helped at least one of you out there, as you really don't learn any of this in school and often some people don't have the support of parents to learn from.

How do you save money? Any more tips that i've missed, i'd love to know!

beauty

Holiday Beauty Essentials

July 15, 2016

As i've recently been on holiday and with it being holiday season, I thought it would helpful if I did a few posts tailored towards holidays and the things i've learnt from being on holiday recently. I thought today i'd talk about the beauty products that I took on holiday with me, but also ones I didn't and wished I had, as this may come in useful if you're going on holiday soon.

Being a beauty blogger I found it quite hard to make sure I had everything I needed beauty wise whilst on holiday, but also baring in mind that you do have a weight limit and all of those beauty products do take up a lot of your weight limit. With only having 15kg within my baggage allowance I really stripped it down, but luckily as I was going on a group holiday we shared products such as shampoo, conditioner, showergel and aftersun but having said that I was still maxed out on my baggage allowance regardless. Anyway, if you too are going on holiday this may help for when you're packing your beauty essentials.

Starting off with the single most important skin product that you will need on holiday is sun protection. Being a natural ginger, I burn very easily and my sun protection of choice was the Garnier Sensitive Advance 50+ SPF (£8). Usually when using such a high factor I find them to be so thick and somewhat uncomfortable to wear, but this felt like I was wearing the lightest sun protection going. Also it worked! I didn't burn once on holiday, when usually I come back with the most painful lobster like sun burn so if you're like me, I'd highly recommend trying this SPF out as it is really affordable also. Another SPF that I found so helpful is one aimed towards your face, as normal SPF's break me out so I picked up the Soltan Protect & Moisturise Face 30 SPF (£5). I found that this was a lot less oily and quite thin in consistency but again it gave amazing protection and although I still got a few spots, I don't think it was down to this product.

Another product that I was so glad to have whilst on holiday was the Nuxe Reve De Miel Lipbalm (£19.50), which I'd just left in my handbag but when you're on a sunny holiday you definitely need a good lip balm to not only protect your lips, but to also keep them from getting dry in the hot temperatures. Another product that you need to take on holiday is a bite cream of some sort, unfortunately for me I didn't take any as I usually don't get bitten, but I did this time and luckily one of the girls had packed some bite cream. Now that i've come home, i'm still soothing the few bites that I do have and the Boots Antihistamine Cream (£3.39) has been a life savour! You can also take antihistamine tablets to help if you do get bitten or applying some sort of insect repellant.

With being on holiday you literally live in your bikini, or I did anyway and although it's great to just be sunning yourself all day I did find that my bikini did irritate the skin around my bikini line (tmi I know, but it happens to all of us). One product that I was so pleased that I packed was the Tend Skin Solution (£12.95), which i've spoken about previously but it is honestly the only product i've known to soothe any irritation almost instantly and gets rid of any redness in that area that you don't want anyone to be seeing.

The last two products are products that I didn't pack, but are ones i'd definitely recommend packing as the hot weather really did dry out my skin and my hair. The first product i'd definitely recommend taking is some sort of dry ends treatment and a favourite of mine is the Fudge Urban Miracle Ends (£5.99). Although I was still conditioning my hair and making sure I properly washed out any salt, my hair was still ridiculously dry especially at the ends and my hair was in desperate need for some tlc. Since being home, i've been smothering my hair with this product in order to smooth the ends of my hair and give them some much needed hydration. Another product I wish I had was a body scrub of some sort, although I was slathering my skin with after sun I was desperate need to just give my skin a good scrub. A favourite of mine is the Soap & Glory Scrub of Your Life (£7) as it just gets into your skin and removes any dry skin, whilst leaving your skin feeling soft.

What beauty essentials do you take on holiday?

beauty

June Favourites

July 13, 2016

The fact we have now past the half way mark into this year and we're now into my birthday month is just crazy to me. This past month or so has been so good life wise as i'm feeling so much more happier and just generally positive about life. With June being all over and done with, and as i've been loving quite a lot of products throughout June I couldn't not put a favourites post up, even if it is a little late.

This month i've been trying out a fair few new makeup products and the majority of those products i've been loving so much as they have completely changed my makeup for the better, in my opinion. Some of these products are new releases, so this is kind of giving a first impressions of which I will expand on in a full review soon, if I haven't already.

The first two products from Esqido I have previously reviewed, but I couldn't not mention them again as i've gotten so much wear out of them and the quality of these two products are unreal. Firstly is the Esqido Miss Dolly Mink Lashes* ($35), which are the most beautiful lashes that i've ever had the pleasure of wearing. They are so soft and so natural looking that you don't feel like you're wearing any lashes, which is amazing for me because I usually find lashes to be so uncomfortable. To go with the lashes the Esqido Long Lasting Lash Bond* ($10) is hands down the best eyelash glue that i've ever had the pleasure of trying. The formula of this is so long lasting throughout the day, as I definitely put this to the test on my recent holiday and I hands down would totally recommend trying this glue to any lash lovers out there.

From the products I picked up from the NYX stand, i've been loving all of them especially the butter glosses but I feel like i've banged on about those quite a bit and it was about time I talked about the other products I picked up. I've been loving the NYX Liquid Illuminator (£7) so much recently and i've definitely been converted onto the liquid highlighter bandwagon. I picked up the shade 'Sunbeam' which has a lovely pink undertone that I think is absolutely stunning and it looks so beautiful on the skin. Another product that has changed my makeup routine is the Lancome Grandoise Liquid Liner* (£23), which is like no liner that i've used. It has a bending wand that really helps you get the right angle in order to make you're flick look on fleek and it gives such a precise finish that I absolutely love.

Another addition into my makeup collection has been the Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil (£18.50), which i've just purchased the full size of after loving the sample in last months Elle magazine. I've spoken about this brow pencil so much recently that you're probably sick of hearing about, but just take my word for it that it's an amazing brow pencil especially if you want a precise defined brow. Last of all this month, i've been obsessed with painting my nails white because it looks so good with a tan. My favourite white nail varnish is the Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Nail Polish (£) as the gel formula has a much nicer finish in comparison to a normal nail polish and the lasting power of this formula is like no other i've used.

What products have you been loving this past month?

beauty

Desk Beauty Essentials

July 11, 2016

Being a beauty blogger, but also having a full time job at the same time means that I spend the majority of my life sat at a desk working my little toosh off. I've seen a few bloggers talking about the beauty products that they keep on their desks, so I thought it would be fun to share the products that I keep on my desk at work that I reach for quite a lot throughout the day.

When it comes to using and carrying beauty products around during the day, I do try to keep it quite minimal as i'm not an overly fussing person and i'm not really one to reapply my makeup throughout the day. So when it comes to my desk beauty essentials, again I keep it really minimal with the products that I store on my desk at work and they are only products that I genuinely use, as I hate unwanted clutter especially as my desk is quite hard to keep tidy at work anyway.

When it comes to my job, i'm usually crazy busy from sorting through all of the clothing samples within the office and general admin duties, and because of this my hands really can suffer from some dryness from time to time. I'm not a usual hand cream kind of girl but i've really been converted and my current favourite hand cream is the Gallinee La Culture Hand Cream* (£12). I've been testing a few products from this brand and i'll go into more detail in another post about what this brand is all about, but i've been loving this hand cream so much. It has a lovely creamy, yet thick consistency that absorbs so quickly in comparison to other hand creams i've used previously, and this doesn't leave my hands feeling oily or greasy. I also really like the scent of this hand cream as its quite natural, as i'm not a huge fan of artificial floral scented hand creams.

Another nourishing product that I keep a fair few of on my desk is a lip balm of some sort. I usually just keep cheap ones on my desk, as I can't be bothered to transport my Nuxe one backwards and forwards from work but saying that I really like the Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm (£1.65) as it's really gentle on the lips and does the job of keeping my lips nourished throughout the day. I also keep a pot of Vaseline Pocket Size (£1.95) in my drawer as a back up option, as you can't go wrong with a tub of Vaseline.

Lastly onto the makeup products that I keep on my desk, and as I previously mentioned i'm not the kind of girl to really care to reapply my makeup throughout my day, other than lipstick of course. Having said that, I do like to keep a couple of products just in case I am in need of a touch up especially if a spot decides to pop up in the middle of the day, or if my skin is feeling a little oily. The concealer I like to keep at work in the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (£5.49) as it's one I don't use for my daily makeup but it's great at covering up any blemishes throughout the day. I know you can probably relate, when you've got a blemish or one decides to appear out of nowhere and you just need to cover it up! I also keep the Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder (£3.99) at work just to powder over my skin if I need to, or if i'm going out for dinner after work as this has been a long time favourite of mine.

So those are the few products that I like to keep on my desk at work in order to get me through the day.

What products do you carry/keep when you're working?

beauty

Duty Free Beauty Haul

July 08, 2016

As many of you know, especially if you follow me on Instagram that i've been on holiday this past week and I arrived back home on Wednesday. One thing that I always love about going away is getting to use up the last bit of currency having a splurge in duty free and I thought i'd do a little duty free haul.

Initially I was only going to pick up a new perfume in duty free, but I actually came back with more Euro's than I initially expected so I thought i'd have a little splurge and treat myself as I haven't really purchased any exciting lately. Also because duty free is somewhat cheaper in comparison, I couldn't not pick up a few bits that i'd had my eye on for a while.

The first product that I picked up was the Paco Rabanne Olympea Perfume (£33.99), which I knew I was going to pick up as my current bottle is starting to run low. This fragrance has been a favourite of mine for quite a while now and I honestly cannot get enough of it. I opted for the bigger bottle of the two that they had on offer, as I knew i'd get through the smaller bottle way too quickly and the price difference between the two was so justifiable. If you've followed my blog for a while then you'll know that I love this fragrance and if like me, you really like girly floral scents then you will probably like this, as it's still a girly fragrance but is a little more bold but still lovely.

Also whilst browsing the duty free, I stumbled across the Benefit stand and after falling in love with a little freebie I decided to pick up the full size of the Goof Proof Brow Pencil (£18.50). I was quite surprised that they had the new brow products, as they have only just been released but I just knew that it was a good opportunity to get my hands on a full size as i've almost finished up the small tester that I had. If you're on the hunt for a new brow pencil, that won't really break the bank but gives really good results then i'd highly recommend trying this out. Also from Benefit, I decided to pick up the Roller Lash Mascara (£19.50) as it was slightly cheaper on board the plane duty free and after falling in love with this mascara back when it was released, I just knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. What I love about this mascara is the lift it gives to my lashes, that I find no other mascara does and I honestly prefer this mascara to any other mascara that i've tried.

The last item I decided to treat myself to was another set of the Estella Barlett Friendship Bracelets (£20), which a good friend of mine previously gifted me with and I love them that much that I couldn't not get another set. I love how minimal and beautiful these bracelets are, and I find they just add a lovely little touch to any outfit. This set is exclusive to Thomas Cook, but you can pick up these bracelets individually and you can mix and match to create your own set.

So those are the few bits I picked up from duty free beauty wise. I also picked up some alcohol (as you do) and some chocolate treats for my family to enjoy!

Have you picked anything up from duty free recently?

haircare

Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Primer

July 05, 2016

It's been a little while since i've spoken about some new in hair products, as I often find hair care doesn't go to well on the blog but also because I don't really change up the products that i'm using as often as some do. Having said that, there is one product that i've been loving so much recently and it's like no other product that i've used, so I just had to share it with you.

Redken is one of my favourite hair care brands, after trying out several of their products and never being disappointed they are a brand that I will always go back to. Their products are very innovative in comparison to their competitor brands and the quality of their products is just amazing.

A product that i'd heard a fair bit about in the recent months, thanks to one of my favourite bloggers Lily Melrose is the Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Primer* (£17) and after seeing how much she loved this product, I just knew that I needed to try this out. I was delighted when the team at Redken sent over this for my to try, which was accompanied by some american candy that we all know i'm a sucker for. With primers being such a huge thing in the makeup world, I did wonder how long it would take for it to branch into other areas of beauty but a blow dry primer is definitely a product I was not expecting.

As I suffer from dry and damaged hair, due to constant re-dying i'm always on the look out for products that specialise in protecting against heat whilst also doing my hair some good. This primer is designed to not only prep the hair for a blow dry, but to also protect the hair from any heat and to strengthen the hair to shield it from breakage. I've been using this every single time that i've dried my hair for the past two weeks, applying it to the majority of my hair whilst it is wet but avoiding the roots and really allowing it to soak into my hair. What I love about this product is that it not only speeds up the drying time of your hair but it also protects to up to 230℃ which is great, especially when your styling your hair after it's blow dry.

So far i've found that my hair is looking a lot less frizzy, as it works to help tame flyaways and my hair feels so much more softer on a daily basis. If like me you have dry hair, that is somewhat thick and often frizzy, then i'd truly recommend trying this product!

Have you tried anything from Redken?