A Little Homeware Haul

Would you believe it? Me doing a homeware haul! In the whole time I've been blogging I've never done a homeware post, but hey, there's a first for everything, right?
Technically this isn't all from one big shopping spree but over a course of a few weeks and I thought it would be quite nice to save up all the things I've bought to go in my bedroom and actually write a blog post. You may have seen a few of these already on my instagram but I wanted to put them all together in one place.
Now i'm just dying to show you what I got.

Dinki Belle Nail Wraps

If you know me by now, you'll know how much I love doing my nails with my favourite nail polish. However, I don't always have the time, or the patience, to sit and wait for each coat to dry for my perfectly manicured nails.
I've always wanted to try nail art, but me doing something that fiddly would most probably end up a disaster. So you can imagine how excited I was when I got hold of a set of Dinki Belle Nail Wraps.

The Autumn Outfit with Sammydress*

I always find Autumn to be quite a tricky season to style an outfit as you're never sure what the weather's going to be like when you leave the house in the morning, freezing temperatures and drizzly rain one minute or a blistering heatwave the next.
I've been wanting to update my wardrobe for a while now after having a huge clear out of items that I no longer wear. I needed to add a few key pieces in Autumnal colours that would see me through the next few months. And I've found just the most perfect dress!

Hydro Face Mask by Vitamasques

I've been so excited at the thought of trying out a sheet style mask ever since they came on the beauty scene a while back. They are wonderful little masks full of amazing ingredients and promise to give super hydration to the skin, which is just what I need when we're going into a new season where my skin can start to feel a little bit drier than it normally does.
The Vitamasques Hydro Face Mask has been designed to give super hydration thanks to the Artificial Moisturising Factor (AMF) which enhances the skin ability to retain moisture for up to 120 hours, that's nearly a whole week! It also contains extracts of Rose of Jericho for an extra moisturising boost, which is fabulous if you're like me and can suffer from dry, dehydrated skin.

October Goals

It's not only the start of a new month but October is officially the start of Autumn, with hot chocolates, cosy nights in and pumpkin or gingerbread candles creating that warm, homely smell.
As I start a new page in my diary I thought it would be quite nice to share 7 goals I'd like to achieve this month.

September Beauty Favourites

Well, here we are again, another month has passed by and I'm searching through all of my beauty products to see what I've really enjoyed using the most throughout September. Can you believe that Summer has been and gone, and we're now going into Autumn which I'm really looking forward to so much this year, it could be my new favourite season. My pumpkin candle has already been lit a couple of evenings this week and I've been eyeing up all the gorgeous new coats and knitwear that are in the shops right now. And I've even been making plans for Christmas, which is so organised for me it's unreal! One thing I can't bring myself to enjoy is a Pumpkin Spice Latte, yuk, it's just too milky for my liking, no I'll always be a cappuccino girl!

I have a lot of new additions this month so I'd better stop chatting and talk you through what's made it into this month's beauty favourites.

Tea and Cake at Molly's

You know those times when you walk down the same street you've walked down a hundred times before and you're in your own little world, thinking about a million and one things you have to do. Well it was one of those occasions when a friend, who I'd not seen in ages, stopped me to say hello. We chatted for a bit and caught up with what was happening in each other's lives, when she suddenly asked me if I'd ever been in Molly's Tea Room and she pointed towards the shop that we were standing right outside. I had to admit I didn't even know it was there! She asked me if I'd got time for a quick cup of tea and it just so happened that particular day I was on top of my very long to do list. So in we went.

Shadow Switch Review

Does anyone really love cleaning their makeup brushes? It can seem like a real chore but I do try and clean mine at least once a week, however I will admit to sometimes using a dab of makeup remover on a cotton pad to wipe over the brush, especially if it's been a busy week and I've just not had time to clean them properly or I want to use my favourite blending brush for a neutral eye shadow and it's still full of yesterdays dark smokey eye shades.
I know, surely there's an easier way to get just one or two brushes clean and without going through all the hassle of waiting for them to dry afterwards?

My Must Have Accessories For Autumn

Hurray, my first fashion post for the new season! As the days get colder and the nights get darker earlier, I thought I'd dig out a few favourite autumn accessories of mine that will see me right through the next few months. I've had a huge clear out in my wardrobe lately but there are some classic items that I just can't part with and will look perfect with any new clothing I get this year.
As I mentioned in my Autumn post, I am really getting excited about the season this year and that goes for clothing and accessories too.

So let's see what my must have accessories for Autumn are.

Poundland Haul

Quite a while ago I discovered that I really enjoyed shopping in Poundland, you can safely say I am slightly addicted to it. I find it's a great place to pick really good blog props, branded beauty products, cute homeware pieces and even my basic stationery items.
However, I've never been brave enough to try their own make up brand, Make Up Gallery apart from the odd nail varnish. Last month I was in Poundland stocking up on beauty basics, tissues and cotton wool, oh and I'd even picked up some sweet treats for a movie night, and there right near the tills was the Make Up Gallery stand. I actually went over because I'd been looking for a yellow nail varnish but sadly they didn't have one, yet it got me thinking, would the other products in this £1 makeup range be any good?
So after much deliberation as to whether or not to try it and looking through their vast range of products, I finally decided on a few items to take home with me and test out.

So here's what I got.

What I Love About Autumn

Do you know how incredibly excited I am about Autumn this year? And I mean really excited! It surprised me because I usually love the Spring but this year it just seems so different. Last September I hadn't even started my blog so this year I've been reading more posts about Autumn and that's really helped to get me in the mood. A few Saturday's ago I even put away most of my summer clothes, that's how excited I've been to dig out the chunky knits! Then of course, the weather has been really warm and sunny ever since, so all of you Autumn lovers out there can blame me for that, I think I jinxed it!

So here are all of my favourite things about Autumn.

Amelia Moss Skincare*

I first starting looking after my skin a number of years ago now, but before that I'd just slap on the first thing I had to hand and didn't really think about what I was putting on my skin or the effects it would have. I really want to keep looking after my skin and continue to have a good routine, using the right products for my skin type which is also really important to me. I've been looking more at what goes into a product and what benefits it will have on my skin so when Amelia Moss got in touch with me to talk about their 100% natural oils I was keen to learn more and they very kindly sent me their Jojoba Oil and Rose Water skin toner for me to try. All of their products are multi-purpose, you can use the oil as a cleanser, moisturiser and even work some through your hair to help combat dryness. I love this really simple, yet very effective, skincare routine from Amelia Moss. The brand has five different oils and they are all completely natural and 100% pure and organic, straight from the nut or plant, so you really know what you're actually putting onto your skin, there aren't any nasty surprises.

Monthly Favourites

I hope you've all had a wonderful month since my last monthly favourites post. Normally I'm sitting here writing how fast the month has flown by, but for me August seemed to have dragged on forever. It's been a funny month with a real mix of emotions, there have been times when I've felt really happy and other times I've just felt really down after a few stressful things that have happened. On the whole though, things are going quite well at the moment and I'm hoping it stays that way.
So I'll get straight into talking you through my beauty and lifestyle favourites from August.

Things That Make Me Happy

Very often it's the simplest of things in life that make me happy. Those little things that I can sometimes take for granted and other times I've had to raid my penny pot in order to have a little treat! Well, a girl's got to have a few treats, right?
I've always loved writing and have kept a diary for years where I've written down what's made me happy on that particular day, as well as what's made me really angry or upset. It was while I was reading through some old teenage diaries a few weeks ago that gave me the inspiration for this post, so I thought it would be quite nice to share what things make me happy throughout the year.

Blossoming Gifts Bouquet *

I love having fresh flowers in my house, especially in my favourite vase on my dressing table in the bedroom so it's the first thing I see in the morning. I think they really add a touch of colour and brighten up any room. I've had flowers sent to me for my birthday or if I've left a company where I've been working and it's always wonderful to receive them from special people in my life. Other times, I've usually been to a local shop and bought a bunch of flowers if I need to cheer myself up.

A few weeks ago Abby from Blossoming Gifts emailed me to asked if I'd like to receive and write about one of their beautiful bouquets. Of course, it didn't take me too long to reply and say that this is would be something I'd love to do. The only problem I had was deciding which bouquet to have!

One very special thing I do have for all of you is an exclusive discount code! But more about that later.

How I Style A Black Lace Dress

I realise that I'm probably getting a bit late with a Summer fashion post as everyone's more than likely thinking about getting their Autumn coats! But do you know what? It's not very often that I find a spaghetti strap dress that I not only love, but also feel confident enough to wear and have my photo taken wearing it.

The little black dress has been a wardrobe staple for years and believe me, I've had my fair share of them. I think it's one of the easiest pieces to style, whatever the season or occasion. It's the first thing I grab for a last minute party invite, chuck on a statement necklace and a pair of heels and I'm good to go!

But black lace in Summer? That's a different story.

Glossybox August 2016

I'm slightly obssessed with beauty products and when something as gorgeous as my monthly Glossybox arrives in the post I do tend to get a little bit excited. Normally I'd tear straight into the box without even thinking about photos or a blog post as I'm way too impatient and can't wait to see what's inside. So I thought that this month I'd share my first unboxing post with you and let you have a sneaky peak of what came in the August Glossybox  (sorry - Spoiler Alert!!).

It's Glossybox's 5th birthday and to celebrate this month they've joined up with the luxury accessory label Rae Feather to give subcribers a special collectors edition, including an accessory exclusively designed by the brand, and the packaging is definitely different to their usual pink and black style.
Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription service and inside each box there are 4 to 5 carefully selected makeup, hair, body or nail products from well known or new brands.

So let's see what's inside.

My Haircare Essentials

I've been having my hair colour treated and using heated appliances for years and it's really taken it's toll on the condition of my hair. Don't get me wrong, I love my long hair and I will never have it cut short but it can be a real pain to maintain sometimes. I did have it cut to about shoulder length once and I really regretted it afterwards, then spent months moaning about it until my hair finally grew back to a length that made me feel like me again. My natural hair colour is a kind of strawberry blonde, so I'm not really very adventurous when it comes to dying it different colours though, I've just gone a lot blonder. The only time I have ever seen myself with dark hair was when I wore a black wig for a Halloween party I went to and I'd dressed up as a witch, it seemed so weird, but I had such a brilliant night that it was worth it!
I thought it was about time I did a whole post that was purely about my haircare routine and for those of you with dry, colour treated hair, this may be of some help. All of these products are ones that I've found to work well on my hair type and keep it in good condition. Some of them are old favourites, a couple are new discoveries but these are the hair products that I'm currently reaching for every week.

What I've Been Up To

Blimey, I can't believe we are well over half way through this year and July seemed to fly past so fast that I barely had time to catch my breath. Mind you, it was a busier month that normal for me after a few lows the month before so I was probably making up for things. We lost a close member of our family and even though she had been ill for some time it still came as a shock and my way to deal with grief is to shut myself away from the rest of the world. I suppose we all deal with these things differently. Ruth was a cheeky, fun loving lady who was always the life and sole of the party and I'll always remember the good times we spent together most Wednesdays. I know she would want me to make the most of everyday and do whatever made me happy. I can hear her now saying "Stop worrying about it and just get on with it!"
You see, she knew me well as I'm a natural worrier. It's all too easy for me to think of reasons why not to do something, rather than hey, give it a go and if it fails then at least I've tried.
One of the things I've wanted to do for a while is introduce a few more lifestyle posts, but my blog mainly covers fashion and beauty so I just kept putting it off. I think the last post I wrote about what I've been up to was in the New Year. I thought it would be a nice way to look back on what I have done but somehow I've found it hard to sit at my computer and let the words flow in an "On Line Diary" kind of way.
So I'm going to stop worrying and just get on with it!

Monthly Favourites: July

Yes, it's time for the monthly favourite post again! I have a few makeup items that I've just really enjoyed using and a couple of lifestyle things that have made me really happy this month.
So I'll jump straight to it.