Make a Statement

Regal Bib Necklace - Forever 21 / Narcissus Chain - Accessorize / Vintage Teardrops - Warehouse / Statement Bib Necklace - Forever 21 / Yellow Necklace - Forever 21 / Matilda Statement Necklace - Accessorize / Natalie Necklace - Accessorize /  Short Necklace - H&M / Pale Pink Necklace - Next / Pink Spikes - River Island / Rio Ultimate Necklace - Accessorize    

Once a stranger to costume jewellery, fast forward to the present there's not a day that goes past that I don't layer on a statement necklace. Instantly taking you from drab to fab, layering on a bejewelled offering can transform that plain knit or t-shirt to having you look polished, and essentially ready to take over the world. Being a neutrals gal, I often find it hard to introduce colour into my wardrobe (a work in progress for this summer - trust me) but taking baby-steps with jewel toned pieces are adding that 'pop' of colour, lifts the look completely and eases me in. Plus I totally like to pretend I'm Olivia Palmero.

Are you a stickler for a statement necklace?

Stationary Worth Writing Home About: Quill London

Following on from my declaration of love for Rifle Paper Co (read here), there's a new stationary boutique in town that's stolen my heart. Whilst searching high and low to get my paws on the many dreamy Kate Spade notebooks, I delightfully stumbled across the rather beautiful Quill London. An online wonderland bursting to the brim of endless beautiful desk additions, each collection curated for any lover of stylish stationary. The kind that makes your heart flutter.

If you can appreciate the importance of putting that first inking of pen in that freshly opened notebook, let's dive in to the beauty of the Kate Spade range...





Here are my top picks soon to be added to my ever growing stationary stash...

Escape The Ordinary Notebook / Gold Bow Pins / Gold Paper Bow Paperclips / Correspondence Cards / Sticky Notes Set 

Browse the Quill London website here. Should you fancy treating your mum (read: yourself) there is a Mothers Day discount of 10% off with the code: 'MUM'. What are you waiting for?

I do love stumbling over a treasure trove of charming online stores, Quill London being no exception. See one of my other finds here where I talk all things Alphabet Bags. Do you have any online boutique recommendations?

Now tell me, how dreamy is Kate Spade stationary?

TOPSHOP X ADIDAS ORIGINALS

Forget all the designer/high-street collabs, they don’t faze me. But bring in a legendary sports label and arguably, one of the UK’s leading fashion brands, and I’m sold. As soon as word got out about the Adidas X Topshop Original collection, I knew instantly something very exciting was about to happen. 

Normally a Nike girl through and through, Adidas has always hit the bar high in terms of making sportswear... stylish. A hard feat to achieve, their collaboration with Topshop has catapulted them fashion forward. 

Printed Hoody / Urban Print Hoody / Oversized Sweatshirt / Printed Vest Top / Contrast Shorts / Printed Jogging Bottoms

While this collection may scream a little street-wear, there will be nothing stopping me from swooning over the Urban Print Hoody and Printed Vest for my weekly gym classes. If anything can haul my ass to work out, it’s good work-out wear, so cliché.

You can shop the collection online at Topshop (now mostly sold out), Selfridges or on the Adidas website, where if you enter the code 'friends' you can receive 25% off your order for today only. Now if that ain't a good a excuse, what is?

What has caught your eye from the collection?

It's All In The Flick

A flick of eyeliner has become a staple within my daily make-up routine. Adding a slick of definition (thats very much needed when you're a glasses wearer) I have long been practising the art of that perfect lined stroke. Switching between a softer kohl look for day-to-day-life or a glam liquid look come evening, I've got my eye-linin' down to a T.

Having had a play with many of the top contenders out there, I thought I would showcase my must-haves - some well known, some seriously under the radar...

Stay All Day Liquid Liner - Stila ∙ Khol Liner in Sable - Topshop ∙ Eye Pencil in Black - Liz Earle 

Having decided that liquid liner is sometimes just a little too much for day-to-day wear, I branched out to kohl pencil. Bringing back shudder-worthy memories of my 14 year old self and a bright turquoise pencil liner (don't ask) I settled on the safer choice of the Topshop Kohl Pencil in Sable. A dark brown shade, incredibly creamy and easy to apply, it glides on like a dream and smudges well for that lived-in-look.

Another must-have is the Liz Earle Kohl Pencil in Black, a product that never appeared on my beauty radar, I was plenty surprised and delighted to find this in my goody bag from a store event. It creates a flick with ease, lines the upper lash-line with great pigmentation and most importantly, you don't resemble a panda by late afternoon, hurrah!

When an evening occasion calls and the glam squad are out in full force, my must-have liquid liner is the Stila Liner. Hands down the easiest pen I've used, it effortlessly glides on without making a hash of mistakes. With the nib being super thin with a defined point, it's perfect for creating whatever sized stroke you fancy - it also holds just the right amount of product without the dreaded ink explosion or dry patch. We've all been there.

Now comes the hard part, the flick. Think again my friend, with a nib so pointy (technical term?) it allows precision with ease. No longer are 79679 cotton buds needed. The Stila Liner is simply line, flick, done - sold.

Have you tried any of these liners? What liners can you not live without?

Falling for Lily, the Mulberry

Medium Lily - Mulberry 

Meet Lily, she's been hiding in my closet for six months waiting for the right time to make her appearance. Now spring is on the horizon, I thought I would bring out her out in style. Having spent many a month saving for her, than tan oversized Lily was to be mine. Falling head over heels for her timeless appeal and buttery leather goodness - she is the shoulder bag that will see me through until the end of time. Enough of the dramatics, lets jump in.



Roomy enough to fit all your essentials, she begrudgingly even carries my Cannon. With a polished golden interwoven chain, it can be worn either long or short. Being completely honest, she is the Chanel bag I will never own (or at least for a very long time). Worn with a simple summer tea dress come daytime or a glam evening dress, the deer brown shade makes Lily such a versatile piece.

With the classic postman's lock, soft grain leather and hanging key fob, the Mulberry Lily is a beautiful addition to my wardrobe. Come sunshine, there won't be a moment she won't be next to my side.

Do you own a Mulberry bag? Completely overpriced of course, yet one cannot deny the softness of the leather or craftsmanship that has gone into each piece. My Bayswater and Alexa are a testament to that, however battered.

Herbal Teas: One lump of peppermint, or two?

If you offered me a herbal tea last year, I would of pulled a face and politely declined - you health hippy you. Roll on this year, I can't get enough. Just what happened? After suffering awful stomach cramps and bloating I turned in haste to the natural healing properties of peppermint tea. It felt a tad odd at first, then soon enough it started working wonders and then - I got addicted. Swapping my morning builders brew for a cup of peppermint has become a permanent fixture in my morning routine ever since.

Amazed with the wondrous properties of peppermint tea, this January I embarked on a tea-tox. I half made it up, half went along with it. For the whole month I shunned fizzy drinks and alcohol (see small print below) opting for strictly herbal teas, water and cranberry juice - girls gotta have some flavour. So off I skipped down the tea aisle and hastily added the following in my basket..

∙ Peppermint - Really refreshing and calming, peppermint tea does wonders for your digestive system. It helps sooth tummy cramps and beats the feeling of nausea, perfect if you're on your period, travelling or feeling nervous. It also does wonders for bloating and stress.  

 ∙ Fennel - Strangely smelling like Katsu curry, Fennel tea is another great one for aiding digestion. Flushing out all the toxins and very cleansing, it's also highly praised for improving your metabolism. 

 ∙ Ginger and Lemon - Very warming on a cold day, ginger tea is very soothing. Ideal for fighting off unwanted colds and flu, it's jam-packed full of antioxidants. 

 ∙ Peppermint & Nettle - I don't really taste the nettle to be honest, but with all the goodness of the peppermint tea, nettle surely does put a spring in my step mid-afternoon with uplifting and engerising properties.

 ∙ Green Tea - All hail green tea. The super herbal concoction that basically aids everything, it protects from heart disease and diabetes, to speeding up your metabolism to burning fat - just don't forget to take the tea-bag out after a minute or you'll be left with a pond water stew, ew. 

So what did I learn after gulping back the herbs?

My stomach felt less stressed, my water intake was much higher which meant clearer skin, the health boosting properties impressively gave me a lift come mid-afternoon at work and well.. I peed a lot. I must have really flushed and cleansed my body. I found it really easy to slot the teas in to my daily routine, mainly because my work colleagues and I are champion tea drinkers. I even found myself ordering a herbal tea in Pret on a weekend, props to me right? 

I definitely found myself feeling more active and felt that the health benefits were actually doing something. I'll bow down to a peppermint tea bag anyday. Plus you really can't knock teas for improving your water intake levels. I will certainly be keeping up herbal tea-tox lark for sure.

What herbal teas do you drink? Would love to know some recommendations. Anyone tried Matcha tea? I'm intrigued. Or if not, would you swap your coffee fix for herbal anytime soon?

Small Print: Ok, so I totally had two glasses of coke (water and a kebab don't cut it) and I may have been sucked in by a glass of processo, but that back fired when I got so excited it came out of my nose. 

Hair Talk: Let's Do The Twist

A few weeks back I was lucky to be invited to the Johnson & Johnson Skincare Awards (no, I don't know how either). What I do know however, is that I was frantically searching for a fancy hair-do the night before. Deciding that after a long day at work, my hair would probably be unruly, lank and a million miles from how I originally styled it that morning, I searched Pinterest for some inspiration. In came the twisted up-do. Very simple and quite pretty if I do say so, I thought I would share how-to.

ghd Barrel Brush ∙ Bumble and bumble Thickening Spray ∙ Surf Spray   

After washing my hair I spritzed through Bumble and Bumble's Thickening Hairspray for added volume alongside the Surf Spray for some much-needed texture to my fine hair. Blowdrying through with my ghd barrel brush (a bloody marvellous creation) I swept my fringe to the side and adjusted my parting.

Then simply start twisting your hair from the crown to the nape of your neck then clip in place, then repeat on the other side. With a bit of practice, ensuring the back part stays smooth, twist both pieces together and neatly secure in a bun. Then spritz through with a lightweight hairspray to keep in my place. Bingo! 

Whilst at work I pinned my fringe back then with the clock hit five I just refreshed my fringe with dry shampoo for a sweeping look.

Do you have any trusty hairstyles that take you from drab to fab after work?

It's All In The Collar

Jumper - Gap ∙ Coat - Topshop ∙ Alexa - Mulberry ∙ Collar - Cos

I'm a complete sucker for anything embellished or detailed, sequins have me swooning but collar details have me smitten, dreaming up all sorts of heavenly knitwear pairings. When I spotted the Cos Mock Shirt, I knew it needed to be mine. Ok - so it sort of looks like a victorian restraint device, but if you look past that, it really is quite stylishly clever. 
Slipping under some of my favourite knit pieces, it really adds a unique touch to an otherwise boring outfit. Basically, a lazy girls dream. Worn with a fine Gap knit and my trusty Topshop trench (so old it could be deemed vintage), I cannot wait to pair this under tea-dresses come summer. Or in the mean time this spring-full Whistle's coral jumper.

What do you think of the mock collar? Too weird or genius?

Not To Be Missed: Whistles Discount

Lorna Flat Point Slingback ∙ Heidi Bag ∙ Meghan Leopard Print Dress ∙ Rivington Bag ∙ Mystic Skater Skirt ∙ Small Croc Clutch ∙ Audrey Sunglasses ∙ Lorna Flat Point Slingback ∙ 

Amelia Crew Neck Knit

Taking the spot on the premium end of the high-street, Whistles offers a sharp serving of delightful dresses, well tailored pieces and lust-worthy shoes. Slightly out of my price range, there's no denying I haven't fallen head of heels for the Skater Skirt. Catching my attention, the quirky print has got transition piece scribbled all over. And of course, with Grazia magazine offering 25% discount, my purse is singing a sigh of relief. 

To take advantage of the 25% off discount, enter the code: WH25SS14 on the Whistle's site.

What would you treat yourself too?

Falling in love with Jo Malone

Vitamin E Lip Conditioner ∙ Peony & Blush Suede Cologne - Jo Malone

Jo Malone is brand I've admired from afar. Their timeless, signature packaging and tempting array of bespoke fragrances have me tiptoeing over in wonder, but in truth i've always found the sheer amount of scents overwhelming. Never quite having the time to dedicate my nose to every fragrance, I finally rustled up a date in the diary for some much needed Jo Malone perfumery.

Naturally, upon spritzing the twenty colognes available, ranging from spicy to citrus to floral, it soon became quite a tease for my sense of smell. However, one truly stood out. Being a fan of any scent thats musty or floral, the Peony & Blush caught me. Uplifting and overly floral, the beautiful peony flower is blend with notes of jasmine, rose and gillyflower. And trust me, it smells as pretty as it sounds. Long-lasting and incredibly addictive, you know that feeling when you catch the scent and you feel surrounded? That's exactly what happened.

On my wish-list for a very long time, I was ever so lucky to receive it as a birthday gift from the girls. Without sounding overly romantic, Peony & Blush is certainly the scent I opt for when I want to feel girly, you know - with a top-knot and pink lipstick. So Pinterest, it hurts!

Completely indulgent, the Vitamin E Lip Conditioner could only be justified in gift-form and what a generous gift from Sarah it was. Deeply nourishing, this rich lip balm lives on my bedside table for before-bed-application, for ultra soft lips come morning and in fear it may get lost in my jumbled handbag. One to definitely put on a gift wishlist.

Have you ever sniffed Jo Malone? Don't let the snotty sale assistants put you off, go forth, sniff & fall in love.

Moroccan Style Diary

Following on from my last post where I nattered through my Moroccan adventure, I thought I would share a few snapshots of my style diary, with a few beauty recommendations thrown in for good measure!

Necklace - Accessorize ∙ Cardigan - Laura Ashley ∙ T-shirt - J.Crew ∙ Trousers - New Look 

Blouse - Topshop ∙ Necklace - H&M ∙ Maxi - H&M ∙ Sunglasses - Ray Ban ∙ Bag - Accesorize

T-shirt - J.Crew ∙ Jeans - Gap ∙ Cardigan - Gap ∙ Sandals - Topshop 

Maxi - Zara ∙ Bag c/o Next 

Bioderma Micellar Water ∙ Liz Earle Travel Cleanse & Polish ∙ Liz Earle Travel Light Moisturiser ∙  Liz Earle Sun Protection

  

Dragon Girl - Nars Lip Pencil 

Scarf - Gap 

Sandals - New Look 

 

All that's left to say is roll on Summer in the UK, no?