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.