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.

Daily Skincare: LIQ C Serum*

Every morning and evening I like to do a full skincare routine as not only am I looking after my skin but I find it's almost like a mini pamper session and very therapeutic, especially at end of a long day. One of the products I love to use is a serum, which I've mentioned a few times in previous posts. I've been using one for a while now and have noticed what a big difference it has made to my skin's appearance compared to applying just a moisturiser on it's own after cleansing and toning.
A serum has helped with a whole host of skin problems from giving my skin a bit of a boost to brighten it up and to give it some much needed re-hydration.
For me another area I worry about are the signs of getting older. I know this is something that I can't stop (oh if only!) but by using a serum it has helped with any fine lines I do have and hopefully keep it looking younger for just that little bit longer.

Primers I've been using

A good primer is one of those products that I just love having in my makeup bag and with so many around it's hard to know which one to choose. Some primers claim to hide your pores, some give you a matte finish or a lovely super glow and some actually give your makeup a little extra staying power.
Using a primer was something that I never really used to bother about until recently, now that I do I've noticed a big difference with how my makeup looks and lasts.
There are two main primers I've been testing out recently and I'm sure, like me, you've probably seen both of these talked about a lot. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Here's how I got on.