Perfect Pair, Part Four

My fourth and final part of this series, "Perfect Pair" is ending with one of my favorite things - jeans! So many women are always on the never-ending quest to find the perfect pair, so when we finally find them, we buy in bulk! Sometimes they might be expensive, sometimes they might be cheap. The funny thing is, it doesn't matter. Most of us are willing to pay the price for a great fit, am I right?

I've been in search of two things - a great fitting pair of jeans, and a great fitting pair of jeans in a perfect spring casual wash. I normally wear dark washes, but I think I needed a little light in my life. Enter Miss Selfridge. I first bought this same skinny fit in a black wash, and I pretty much live in them (I'm wearing them as I write these words). I knew I could rely on the cut of these, so I went back to House Of Fraser to see what other colors they offered. I was delighted to find this seemingly perfect light rinse. 

Lucky for me, these only set me back about £40 so I don't have to feel guilty - I might even buy another pair...

Jeans Miss Selfridge

It's also worth mentioning that the print in the background of some of my photos from this series is by the very talented Elizabeth Mayville. To view more of her work, go here. Her Etsy store is also a fun place to browse if you're interested in some very pretty and minimalistic prints- I'd highly recommend it - go here.

I hope you all enjoyed this little mini series - if you did, let me know! Tweet me or comment below! If you didn't, let me know what I can improve for you. I'm always looking for new ideas! 

Perfect Pair, Part Three

Is there anything better than getting new underwear? These adorable spring undies were another great find from Gap (TMI post alert!) and I couldn't resist their bright, poppy colors! It's always good to get rid of old pairs floating around - you know, a spring cleaning of your unmentionables drawer. I think we could all do with one of those! 

The second part of this pair is Treasure Yourself by the one and only Miranda Kerr. I think Miranda is such a natural beauty and she really seems to have her head screwed on straight, so I picked up this book. She isn't preachy about her lifestyle and doesn't pretend to be 'just like us', but she does offer tips to achieving a happier outlook on life. Who couldn't use a few tips every now and again?

Underthings Gap Body

Book Amazon

Perfect Pair, Part Two

Today's perfect pair is all about nails! Over the past year or so I've definitely put a lot more effort into nail care, and I truly believe it's made a world of difference. I used to have a bad habit of picking at my cuticles, and thought that when the women in the salons would cut them all off that it would help. Oh how wrong I was! Now, I am addicted to using nail pens, like this Nails Inc. one, every day as part of my morning ritual. It stops my cuticles from drying out and thus eliminating my need to pick and pull! 

This nail color is my favorite of the moment - I've had them painted this color in hopes that it would miraculously become spring. So far it hasn't really worked, but at least when I look down at them I can pretend! This is a gel polish by OPI in the color You're Such a Budapest. 

Nail Oil Pens Feel Unique

OPI Nail Color Beauty Bay

Perfect Pair Series, Part One

I'm doing a little series this week called perfect pairs, where I couple up some of my favorites of the moment. I figured it'd be a fun way of showing you some of my recent finds!

The items don't necessarily have to do with one another, but I just thought it would be easier to showcase and talk about my current faves in pairs of two rather than a big haul style post!

My first perfect pair is this adorable oversized clutch and super moisturizing body lotion. The clutch is from Gap, of all places! So not only is it adorable and very on-trend, but it was incredibly affordable! I picked it up in downtown Birmingham this past weekend when everything was 20% off, and I think it ended up being just over ten quid! 

The moisturizer is none other than Clinique's Deep Comfort Body Moisture. I used this a long time ago and hadn't repurchased it until now. I'm not sure what took me so long - it's absolutely amazing! Not only is it incredibly hydrating but it has the softest, cleanest scent that isn't overpowering at all, so it goes great with any perfume. 

Clutch Gap

Clinique Body Moisture

Spring Uniform

Once upon a time I owned about 300 various striped items. It was kinda my thing. "When in doubt, buy a striped shirt"seemed to be my unwritten motto. Once people starting pointing it out to me, I definitely tried to curb my obsession a bit, and when I moved I left a fair few of them behind.

So it's only natural that in the last month or so, I'm really jones-ing for a good, broken in stripey tee to live in this spring. Of course, my trusty new favorite shop, Warehouse, had just what I was looking for.

I was in the mood to jazz it up a bit, so I picked up this adorable little collar necklace that I thought would make this particular tee look a bit less nautical and a bit more girly.

Oh, and yes, I caved and picked up a new pair of black flats. This style is new for me and I resisted it for a long time but I thought they were cute enough so I snapped them up.

The last thing that's definitely going to be a part of my spring uniform is the amazing Bobbi Brown Extra Hand Cream. It's not that warm out yet so it's still so important to protect your hands from the cold and dry weather. This cream has been teasing me from the Bobbi counter for months, and I gave in today. This is going to be an instant favorite for me, I an already tell.

Do you have a uniform for different seasons? Particular pieces that you feel like you wear over and over all year long?

Tee Warehouse

Collar Miss Selfridge

Loafers Office Girl

Hand Cream Bobbi Brown

Easter!

Did the bunny arrive at your house yet? I think he missed mine this year, as I'm not currently demolishing a pack of Peeps, but I think I'll be alright. In any case, if anyone feels like picking me up a pack, I'd be forever grateful (hint,hint).

This year I'm dreaming of all things pastel. It's such a massive trend this season, and I can't get enough of the light-as-air hues. How sweet is that mini Mulberry bag? And those Ferragamo flats?

What are your favorite pastel pieces this season?

Charbonnel & Walker Chick

Bobbi Brown Blush

Mulberry Mini Flower Bag

True Religion Finnigan Jeans

Salvatore Ferragamo Varina Ballet Flats

Misty Aurora Bunny Earrings

Wildfox Sugar High Sweater

Paperchase Bunny Ears

Lindt White Chocoate Egg

Ilamasqua I'mperfection Speckled Nail Varnish

Dior @ Harrods

Last weekend, after fawning over some of the gorgeous exhibitions at the Victoria & Albert Museum, I had the pleasure of checking out the Dior exhibit at Harrods in person. I've seen many a blogger regaling their readers with tales of this little massive setup, and I have to say, not one has been able to capture the true magnitude of it. 

When we decided to pop in, I was under the impression that yes, the windows would be done up, but it would be more of a push on the new Dior spring season apparel & handbags. I could not have been more wrong. 

The team who put this together really pulled out all the stops. We spent nearly 15 minutes just looking in the windows - in the freezing cold snow nonetheless. They paid homage to all of the iconic sights in London with some sneaky product placement - my favorite by far was the London Eye, which had it's pods replaced with bottles of Miss Dior Cherie. It was around the time we saw it that my husband, without a blink, relinquished his phone so that I could take some photos (mine had died only moments before). Little did we know that the best was yet to come.

We wandered up to the 4th floor and knew at that point that we were in for a treat, as people were filing out looking well and truly happy. We entered, and I was instantly in heaven. Never being a huge Dior fan myself - the Rasta Collection a few years ago made me think the brand had taken a turn for the worst - I was pleasantly surprised to learn how much involvement Mr. Christian had with the Royal Family and how much history was behind the brand. The evolution to the present under Raf Simon's direction. Consider me a new fan.

Although my iPhone photos do no justice to the the beauty and wonder of this event, take a look at some of the highlights...

Invitations from the Royal Family to Christian.

Princess Margaret wearing a Dior creation, and a pair of her shoes.

Dress worn by Charlize Theron in the new J'Adore Dior ad.

J'Adore bottles lined the floor- this interative room was flashing and playing music from the Charlize ad, a vast contrast to the previous 'Royal' room.

One of my favorite pieces, the dress, designed by Raf Simons, worn by Natalie Portman in the new Miss Dior Emotion ads. It looked like it was floating!

                                     

Another gorgeous dress...and another worn by Marion Cotillard

Bad photo, but this is the mold used for the glass Miss Dior bottles.

Another gorgeous display, all in white.

And now, for a few goofy photes we took of ourselves....

A scented phone booth? Yes please.

A massive handbag..wow!

Andddd a few more... 

A deconstruction of their famous bag..

Below is a vintage Miss Dior travel set.

 This quote lead us back out into the real world...(bad iPhone photo)

I'd say all in all this was one of the most unexpectedly wonderful things I've ever seen. If you're in London, this exhibition is open until April 14th and I can honestly say you will not leave disappointed!

Take Care

This is a bit of a random post, but I still think it's important - caring for your clothes. More specifically, your underthings. I know it's not something that's widely discussed, but taking special care of these pieces makes them last a whole lot longer, so why not spend a portion of your Sunday afternoon washing them up instead of watching another episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?

The washing machine can leave bras so out of shape - and rather than spending 45 minutes untangling the straps from your favorite top, just fill the sink with warm water and toss in some lovely delicate wash. You'll be happy you spent the time on it in the long run.

I found this gorgeously scented Tocca wash at TK Maxx (TJ Maxx for England..) and was really surprised to see so much of this brand on the shelves there. I am so tempted to use this as a body wash, it just smells so nice!

Soak, rince, repeat to make sure all the suds are gone. Don't wring out - place the pieces between two dry towels and gently press before re-shaping if necessary and laying flat to dry.

Catching Up...

If you follow me on Instagram you will have already seen these, but if not, here is a sneak peek into my honeymoon in Mauritius.

 Finally, some words to live by. 

Palette Love

I bought this palette a while ago but have just started using it. The simplicity of it drew me in, and it was during the time when the really shiny woman (see photo below) was prominently plastered all over every Bobbi counter in sight, so I found it a refreshing and true-to-brand alternative. 

(soooo not a Bobbi girl)

It only occurred to me recently that I already own both of the lip colors, but they are two of my all-time favorites so I'm not sad about that..

I love the compact size and versatility of this - it's perfect for throwing in your bag when you're on the go and can pretty much complete your look in a few simple steps. 

While I'm not crazy about the white highlighter color, which I personally don't use because my brow bone is light enough as it is (even with a tan..), I love the Cement shadow as an everyday wash and have also had very good luck adding a bit of water to Eclipse to double as my eyeliner. It stays on forever that way! 

 Here's the rundown of the shades:

I think my favorite part, which I wasn't expecting, is the Pink Popsicle gloss. I don't normally love lip glosses because I feel like they draw attention to dry patches and peely skin, this is the perfect subtle shade and is really very pretty, to put it simply. 

All in all I think this will become a regular fixture in my makeup bag. 

How to Wear Pink

I have a confession: I love the color pink. And while I guess it's not really the most shocking thing ever, I do think there comes a time in life where you gotta scale it back a little. For example, you probably won't find me in pink eyeshadow, pink earrings, a pink dress and pink kitten heels. I say probably because we shouldn't rule things out in life, right? 

Anyway, I find it really hard as I get older to find ways to wear pink and not look like I'm trying too hard to cling to my youth (I am..but that's another story). 

This, my friends, is how it's done. A little dash via Kate Spade and all is right in my world.

Perfect For A Weekend Away... Too Faced Review

I picked up this adorable set at Sephora and have been using it like crazy for the past few weeks.

I've never really been a massive Too Faced fan, but these are their cult products so I knew I'd end up loving them. The size will also fit perfectly into my minimal makeup case that'll be coming to Mauritius with me tomorrow.

Shadow Insurance is definitely my favorite thus far-- it goes on easy and takes a few seconds to set, then sits very nicely under eye makeup. I have been using a new Bobbi Brown creamy eyeshadow and my oily eyelids don't exactly keep it in place, so this is a perfect product. It keeps my shadow in place all day.. and I mean all day. The only downside, which I really can't fault it for , is that it's quite difficult to remove. Like, really takes a bit of elbow grease. Good thing I've been working on my arms! HA!

Won't lie, I've not tried the Glamour Gloss yet. I'm not a big gloss lover, but I'll keep you posted on that. 

Primed and Poreless is one of the nicer primers I've used. I was previously using the L'Oreal Studio Secrets and was feeling too congested with it so I went on a little break, but decided to try this one out and I really like it. Despite the dry weather, this gives a nice finish and doesn't ball up like some other primers tend to do. Apparently you can wear this alone but I'm not sure I see the point of that....

Lip Insurance is the answer to my lipstick woes... Seriously! I've been hesitant to use this type of product since I received Lipcote in a Glossybox over the summer - it seriously dried out my lips and had a SCARY smell. Too Faced answered my prayers. This is much gentler and while I'd say it doesn't really make my lipstick last much longer than normal, it does keep it from running outside of my lip line. 

Lashgasm is pretty straight forward - it's thickening and non-clumpy. Also, I might consider only buying mascaras this size from now on. I mean, we replace them every few months anyway, right? This is the perfect size to throw in my handbag at work for a quick touch up. It washes off nicely at the end of the day and isn't too drying. 

So, in case you didn't believe the hype behind all of these gems, I hope you do now. I get quite stuck in my ways with brands and it's nice every once in a while to brach out. For this set, I'm certainly glad I did. 

Review : Lush Ocean Salt

I've lived in the UK for 6 months and see Lush on various blogs and websites almost every day. Needless to say, it's a pretty popular brand here. It wasn't until I went back to the US, though, that I picked up my very first product. 

While the idea of 'natural' products really appeals to me, I can't get past the smell sometimes which makes this brand one that I'm going to need easing into. 

I decided to bite the bullet and make an appearance at their shop back home. I picked up a few other randoms, but this is the only one I've used thus far. 

With lime, coconut and grapefruit, I was destined to fall in love with this. And since we all know I'm obsessed with sea salt - for eating, drinking (margaritas, on the rocks with salt - YUM!) and exfoliating, this just HAD to be good. And it is! 

Although this is marketed as a face and body scrub, I'd most certainly not put it on my face. It's got a fairly thick and rough grit, which is perfect for sloughing off all that dead winter skin that seems to hang out on my arms and legs, but might be a bit much for delicate and dry facial skin. It doesn't leave a film and isn't as strongly scented as the Soap & Glory scrub that I've also been using. It leaves my skin soft and smooth, which is a nice change..

It smells sort of like Sprite - I know, weird.. but that's the only way I can describe it. It's simply delicious and the color is pretty psychadelic.. it goes from green to blue every time you take a dollop.

The last thing that doesn't really matter but I do feel is worth mentioning is that each jar is labelled to tell you who made it, which gives it a very "local small company" feel. It's really the little things for me...

I will say though..doesn't Madu look like Montel Williams? Anybody?

New Year Mission : Smoothies

 Along with fitting more exercise into my life these days, I've really been enjoying the benefits of daily smoothies. My favorite part is that you can really improvise and they still always turn out delicious! The deliciousness packed into these smoothies is not just a sneaky way of getting my 5 colors a day.. it's also seriously benefiting my skin and overall energy. 

Here's my favorite...

150 ml of almond milk - I use Alpro 

 A handful of goji berries for the antioxidants and anti-aging benefits

The entirety (minus the pit) of a large peach for the Vitamin C & Iron

One small banana for the potassium and some more iron--and to stay full!

A handful of blueberries for all the antioxidants and delicious taste

A cup of curly kale for the fiber, vitamin K and calcium

Pomegranate seeds for... everthing..seriously is there a more perfect food?

BLEND BABY BLEND!

Three large spoonfuls of yogurt to thicken up...

Et voila! Once you get past the color you will realize how amazing this smoothie is! 

Sub pineapple for the peaches for extra tartness... 

This is enough for 2 servings, so drink half and throw the other half in a container to put in the fridge for later consumption.