Tuesday 18 December 2018

the december wish list


Part last-minute Christmas shopping ideas, part items I'm hoping will go into the sales, it's safe to say I wouldn't mind finding any of the goodies on this December wish list under my tree. If you do still have gifts left to buy (um, definitely not me), you can't go wrong with a classic coffee liqueur (delivered next day with Amazon Prime), a chic pair of earrings (these beauts from Whistles are already reduced!) or a decadent lingerie set. As for the sales, do what I do every year and head straight to your local Space NK on Boxing Day; their in-store sales far surpass online and if you're lucky you'll find one or more of these beauty sets for half price.


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Sunday 9 September 2018

september beauty favourites


beauty favourites sept 18

Here are a few of the beauty products I'm currently loving...
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Monday 27 August 2018

desk styling


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Sorry for the radio silence - I moved house a couple of months ago and that along with getting a kitten shortly afterwards, plus work being hectic, has meant little time for anything blog-wise lately (check my Instagram for plenty of kitten spam though!) Anyway, I wanted to break the drought to share my tips on styling a desk. I didn't have room for a desk in my flat, which meant that whenever I had to work from home it was just a laptop on the sofa, which is never terribly inspiring. I'm a huge believer in your work environment having a massive impact on your productivity, so I was determined to turn my new desk into the perfect spot to inspire lots of hard work (and hopefully more writing!)
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Saturday 3 March 2018

my skincare routine


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I don't know about you but I'm always fascinated by other people's skincare routines. One of my favourite blogs at the moment is Space NK's Inside Space, particularly its "Sunday Sessions" feature, which asks a different woman each week about her routine to wind down on a Sunday night (spoiler alert: it almost always includes a Diptyque candle, so these are my kind of women). In that spirit, I thought I would share my own skincare routine, for morning and night. It is sometimes supplemented by a face mask, and I vary my serums, but other than that it pretty much stays the same. Anyway I hope you find it interesting.
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Thursday 15 February 2018

dreaming of spring

It's that really annoying time of year when you're totally done with winter and ready for light jackets, open toed shoes and breezy trousers, but the weather is not playing ball. This week has been absolutely freezing here in the UK and I keep woefully underestimating the chill and dressing in mid-length white culottes and backless mules.


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Friday 2 February 2018

the power of a great blazer

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Over the years I have really refined my shopping habits to focus on quality over quantity. This is part of the reason (or my excuse) for posting fewer outfit posts these days: I just don't buy many clothes. Whereas 5 years ago I wore a completely new outfit every day, now I'm much more likely to be seen wearing the same or very similar outfits. The difference is that I'm much happier doing that now because I've invested in a wardrobe of timeless, classic pieces which I love, rather than trend-led cheap items with a high turnover rate.
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Monday 29 January 2018

beauty review: face masks

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I'm a bit obsessed with face masks. I love the idea of them: the pampering nature of slathering your face in a viscous paste and sitting back with cucumber slices on your eyes to the scent of a lavender candle. The reality isn't ever quite so glamorous (has anyone actually ever put cucumber slices on their eyes?!) Truth be told I end up stockpiling masks and then never get around to using them. It just seems like so much effort. So for a face mask to really impress me, it needs to fall into one of three categories: either really, really good and therefore worth the hassle, or super quick and easy to remove, or a leave-on formula that doesn't require any waiting or faffing. Below I've shared my thoughts on some of the ones I've been trialling recently (and doing this has made me vow to use all of them more often!) As always the usual disclaimer that nothing is sponsored or otherwise biased, and these are not foolproof beauty reviews as I haven't used any of these religiously: they are just my own personal thoughts and impressions.
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Wednesday 10 January 2018

confessions of a candle addict

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You'll have realised by now that I'm somewhat obsessed with scented candles (there are upwards of twenty in my living room right now - I lost count after that...) Over the years of obsessive candle buying, I've learned a few things about which brands are worth investing in, and how to properly care for your candles. Because if you're going to spend £45-50 on something that you will literally burn away, you want to make sure that you're going to get your money's worth...
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