Zaful Wishlist*

Zaful is a company I've seen pop up time & time again over the last few months. From Blog posts to YouTube videos & sponsored Instagram ads, the brand seems to be well & truly in the fashion-spotlight.

For those who may have missed the hype, Zaful* - based in sunny Alicante, Spain - offers a wide collection of affordable clothing, shoes & accessories for "fashion-forward" & "free thinking" women across the globe. Of course, as someone who loves to check out new clothes & can't resist the temptation of a good deal, I simply had to check the company out for myself.

After searching through the many pages items for every occasion, I found many items quickly catching my eye & - as it's been a while since I put together a good old "wish-list" style post - below is a selection of the items that stood out to me the most.

1. Floral Playsuit - $15.99 [x]

2. Pineapple T-shirt - $10.99 [x]

3. Floral Co-ord Set - $14.49 [x]

4. Lace Cami Dress - $17.49 [x]

5. Rose Bralette Top - $12.49 [x]

6. High Waisted Shorts - $9.99 [x]

As you can probably tell from the above, I'm not quite ready to give up on summer clothing just yet & with a trip to Spain on the horizon, I let myself pick out items that I'd love to wear whilst walking along the beach, or enjoying a few cocktails. 

What are your thoughts on the clothes 

available from Zaful?

I'd love to know in the comments. 

xxx

The Wedding Guest Style Guide*

Despite some temperamental weather recently here in the U.K., wedding season is well and truly underway. Whilst I love a good wedding, with so many event types (ranging from black tie, to casual & even destination) it can be a pretty stressful finding the perfect outfit as a guest.

However - luckily for me - The Black Tux* have created the Wedding Guest Style Guide to help anyone find the perfect outfit ahead of the special day.

I love how this guide creates an outfit perfect for any type of event (personally I would never have known what to wear to a White Tie wedding) & helps eliminate the worry of over/under-dressing.

In addition to the above The Black Tux* also offer Suit & Tuxedo rentals, so be sure to check them out if you - or anyone you may know - is heading to an event this Summer.

If you have any tips that aren't included in the above Style Guide 

I'd love to know in the comments below! 

xxx

July Glossybox Unboxing

Whether you're jetting off on an exotic holiday or enjoying a short stay-cation with the girls, the "Hello Summer" July Glossybox contains a combination of products & accessories perfect for the summer months. 

Products: 
Spectrum Fan Brush - £4.99 [x]

CuteBalms Macaroon Tint Balm - £5.99 [x]

Bellapierre Banana Setting Powder - £25.00 [x]

Papangas Spiral Hairbands - £4.99 [x]

Monuspa Soothing Aftersun Lotion - £19.95 [x]

Besides the gorgeous Summer-themed box (I didn't realise it was possible to love the Glossybox packaging more) the first item to catch my eye this month had to be Spectrum's Fan Brush. I've been looking to test a fan brush for sometime now, so I can't wait to see how this works with applying highlighter and loose powder.

I was also pretty happy to find the Monuspa Soothing Aftersun Lotion. Packed with Aloe Vera, Shea Butter and Vitamin E I'm hoping this will be a life-saver if (when) my shoulders start to turn a little pink after sitting in the sun this year.

The only product I was a little uncertain about this month was the Cutebalms Macaroon Balm. Although ridiculously cute (who doesn't love a product shaped like a bright pink Macaroon?) I'm not really a big fan of lip balms. However after some research I discovered that the product also doubles as a cheek tint - so I'll be sure to put it to the test & hope it can become a part of my permanent make-up collection.

Have you tried any of the above products?

I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments below. 

xxx

Simple Summer Make Up

Whilst I love creating different summer looks, there's nothing worse than the feel of heavy make-up on a warm day.. Especially after spending so long creating the look, only for it to melt off in seconds.

So whilst recently on holiday in Spain, I took full advantage of my time in the sun to find the best combination of products to create a "simple summer look" to combat shininess & uneven skin-tone without leaving skin feeling "cakey".

Moisturiser - Nip + Fab Kale Fix - [x]
BB Creme - Rimmel Matte Beauty Balm - [x]
Setting Powder - Max Factor Loose Translucent Powder - [x]
Bronzer - Sleek Contouring & Blush Palette - [x]
Highlighter - Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter - [x]

Mascara - Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara - [x]
Brows - Soap & Glory Archery Pencil & Brush - [x]

What are your go to summer make-up products?
I'd love to know in the comments

xxx

Summer Jewellery Wishlist*

Although all signs of Summer seem have to disappeared here in the U.K. - believe it or not we actually had snow this week! - I'm still not ready to give up on idea of sun & warmer weather. So even if it's nowhere near warm enough outside just yet, I realised there are some stunning pieces of jewellery available this season.. so of course, this was the perfect excuse to put together a little wish-list.

1. Mini Ear Cuff - Au Rate* [x]
2. Fine Gold Look Rings - Top Shop [x]
3. Lotus Pendant - Accessorize [x]
4. Gold Flower Earrings - Au Rate* [x]
5. Pink Lace Choker - Missguided [x]
6. Diamond Ear Cuff - Au Rate* [x]

I simply adore how delicate each of the above pieces are & imagine they'd look gorgeous paired with a summer dress & sandals (whilst sitting on the beach, sipping a cocktail of course). 

If you've spotted any jewellery perfect for the summer months, 

be sure to let me know in the comments! 

xxx

The Spring Revamp*

After a particularly long day at work I love nothing more than curling up in bed, lighting a few candles & catching up on Netflix. However - with the stresses of day-to-day life - I'll admit that sometimes (most of the time) I can let my room get pretty cluttered. So with Spring finally making an appearance here in the U.K. I decided there was no better time to finally have a big "spring clean" & reorganise. 

Source

As someone who owns many, many items, I found it a little daunting knowing where to begin with my "spring clean". So (to help anyone who many be in a similar position) I've put together some tips that I found really helped revamp my space & part with items I no longer need. 

Clothes & Shoes: 

If they haven't been worn in the last year, you probably never will again. Instead of leaving them to gain dust in your wardrobe, donate them to charity. Someone somewhere will love them. 

Make-up & Skincare products: 

Again if you haven't used it for the last six-twelve months, it's probably time to throw it away. They're probably way past their "use-by" date now!

Bedding:

Did you know it's recommended to flip your mattress every three months? I certainly didn't. Whilst this probably isn't something many of us will remember to do, it is worth noting that once in a while we should make the effort to flip/buy a new mattress (I currently have my eye on this one from Leesa*). I also love to change up my bed-covers & find something that really fits with the current season (think pastel colours & floral prints for Spring!). 

Flowers: 

I find that flowers & plants are the perfect way of injecting a little colour to a room. Although fresh flowers are my personal favourite, this can get a little expensive over time. However artificial flowers can look just a pretty & last a life-time. 

Whilst not always the most exciting way to spend a weekend, I was surprised by how therapeutic I found the whole take of Spring Cleaning. Not only did I finally part with (far too many) items that I really didn't need, I now love nothing more than walking into an organised & tidy room! 

Do you have any tips for Spring Cleaning or
revamping a room for a new season?

I'd love to know in the comments. 

xxx

Body Confidence with Dia & Co*

With the warmer weather finally making an appearance here in the U.K it's time to pack away the winter coats & dig out those summer outfits. Playsuits, summer dresses & little pairs of shorts are all perfect items of clothing to wear on a particularly warm day. However - for some of us - the thought of showing more skin can be a little scary.

Whether immediately discarding an outfit without even trying it on, or simply not feeling comfortable once out of the house, the dent in my body-confidence means I can sometimes struggle when it comes to fashion in the summer months. However this year I have set myself the challenge of stepping out of my comfort zone & dressing in the outfits that I truly like.

As someone who feels most comfortable pairing any skirt/dress with tights, going "bare leg" is something really out of my comfort zone. However - as almost any girl will know - black tights & the summer sun really don't go well together (hello melting legs!). So this year my aim is to break the habit & step outside with my bare legs showing.. even if they are a little on the pale side. Ultimately I'm hoping taking this small step will help build my body-confidence & enjoy the summer months without the stress of "what to wear" or the pain of sitting with ridiculously toasty legs!

A great company that is currently working to improve the body-confidence of women everywhere is plus-size fashion brand Dia & Co*. With campaigns like #mybodyfirst - centred around loving our bodies - Dia & Co are working to change the average shopping experience to put women & their bodies first. Be sure to check out their website to find out more - regardless of your clothing size! 

I'd love to know how you work to build your body-confidence. 

Leave any tips in the comments below! 

xxx

High-street Beach wishlist

With the gorgeous weather continuing here in the U.K I have been longing to take a break from my desk & head to a beach for some relaxation. Whilst I don't have any beach breaks booked anytime soon, it hasn't stopped me from browsing the summer collections currently available on the high-street.

In a bid to *try* & stop myself from purchasing multiple bikini's that I won't be wearing anytime soon, I decided to put together a wish-list containing a few of the items I've currently got my eye on.

1. Floral Print Wrap Swimsuit - Asos - £32.00 [x]

2. Stone Leather Sandals - New Look - £27.99 [x]

3. Cat-eye Sunglasses - Top Shop - £18.00 [x]

4. Elephant Print Beach Bag - Boo Hoo - £12.00 [x]

5. Chiffon Kaftan - Asos - £18.00 [x]

6. Crochet Bikini - Missguided - £30.00 [x]

Whilst I can picture myself lounging on a beach with each of the above items, my favourites have to include the Asos floral swimsuit (I imagine the wrap-around feature would be perfect for hiding any slight lumps & bumps) and Top Shop's cat-eye sunglasses - a style I will always love. 

Which is your favourite high-street store for summer items?

xxx

Summer in Paris

As a city that is famous for romance, food & culture, Paris is up there on most bucket lists - myself included. Whilst I've been lucky to spend a few holidays in Disneyland Paris, I've never actually had the opportunity to visit the city itself. So when I was given the opportunity to spend a few days in Paris this summer, I jumped at the chance & - of course - couldn't resist sharing some of the highlights here.

Whilst we only spent a few days in Paris, we spent that time seeing all of the typical tourist sights, soaking up the sunshine & eating lots of delicious french pastries (calories don't count on holiday, right?!). I was also lucky enough to have some time to do a little shopping & treated myself to a little something from Sephora (click here if you're interested in learning more).

If you've ever been to Paris, I'd love to know what your favourite things to do & see are. I can't wait to visit again soon.

xxx

Kueshi Foot Care Cream

Now that summer has well and truly arrived in the U.K it's time to finally ditch the boots & bring out the pretty summer shoes that have been hiding at the back of our wardrobes since last year. However if there's one that makes me dread wearing summer shoes (besides the fact that it'll probably rain at some point during the day - thanks England) it's dry & cracked skin that forms on my heels.

I've suffered from both dry & cracked skin on my feet for as long as I can remember now. Not only does it make me feel uncomfortable to wear sandals & other pretty summer shoes, but I would always find that my feet would become sore & irritated very quickly. So I was very happy to receive the Kueshi Foot Care Cream in a recent Birchbox.

For those who don't know, Kueshi is a Spanish company that prides themselves on providing natural & high quality products that leave skin feeling soft and nourished. They also ensure they're products are also cruelty free which is always a great bonus.

With a combination of gorgeous ingredients including Sweet Almond Oil and Royal Jelly this product promises to leave skin feeling both soft & repaired. Whilst these seem like pretty standard ingredients for a moisturiser, there's one other ingredient that really stood out to  me. Tea Tree Oil. According to Kueshi - Tea Tree Oil's antiseptic qualities help to relieve any pain or discomfort (such as burning & itching) that is associated with dry/cracked skin - something that I was very excited to put to the test.

Following the instructions I applied a generous amount of product before bed one evening & was instantly hit with the refreshing scent of Tea Tree Oil. When I woke up in the morning (& eventually remembered about testing this new product) I was pleasantly surprised to find my skin feeling much softer. I was always very happy to see that any cracks or blistered skin was actually starting to repair itself - something that I always struggled to find from other products.

If - like me - you struggle to find a moisturiser that really works to keep feet feeling soft & healthy, than I really can't recommend the Kueshi Foot Care Cream enough. It's definitely become a staple summer beauty product for me. If you're interested in picking this product up for yourself it currently retails at £12.00 for 100ml and can be purchased from here.

Have you ever tried this product? 

I'd love to know which summer moisturisers you find work the best. 

xxx 

Another Primark Haul

As the title of this post suggests, I may have wondered into Primark a few times over the last few weeks & - of course - come home with some new treats. In order to try & help justify this little shopping spree, I thought the best thing to do would be to put together a haul post to share right here..

1. Hogwarts Alumni T-shirt - £6.00
2. Lace Pump Socks - £2.50
3. Weekend Bag - £10.00 

4. Monochrome Elephant Mug - £2.00
5. Laser Cut Brogues - £12.00
6. Bow Hair Bands- £2.00 

The first item I picked up on this little trip were the black laser cut out brogues. I thought these would be perfect alternative to traditional dolly-shoes for the spring & summer months that would look adorable with dresses/play-suits. To go with these I decided to pick up a pack of lace "pump socks". For those who don't know - these are essentially little socks that don't quite come up as high as regular "trainer socks". As someone who suffers with blisters quite badly, I thought these would be a perfect way to add a little cushioning between the shoes & my feet - plus if the lace does happen to peep over the top it'll just look super cute.

Whilst looking out for spring/summer items I also decided to treat myself to a two-pack of hair bands. Being elasticated these are perfect for tying hair around to on warm days..*watch this space.. I may attempt a hair tutorial post on this soon..*.

The next couple of items were based around a trip I have booked in April. My boyfriend and I have booked a few days away to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour *squeals with excitement*. So being a true fan, I couldn't resist picking up this Harry Potter Alumni T-shirt..  I also decided that - as a classic "over-packer" -  it would be a good idea to pick up a smaller weekend-style bag. I've been on the hunt for a bag like this for a while now, so for only £10.00 I really couldn't say no to this.

The final item to *accidentally* fall into my shopping bag was this adorable little mosaic elephant print mug. I've been looking for a new mug to use in the office - my current is getting a little scratched in the dishwasher - so at £2.00 I thought this would be perfect for my morning (& afternoon) coffee fix!

I hope you enjoyed this little haul post.
Be sure to let me know you're favourite item(s) in the comments below.

xxx

A Summer Make-up Look

Over the past few days here in England summer has finally started to make an appearance. We've been treated to some gloriously sunny days & only a few rainy showers.. *anyone living within the UK will know this is pretty much as good as it gets summer-wise for us*.

Now I adore summer so as soon as the sun makes an appearance I can't wait to throw on something a little more revealing *tut tut & get my pale & pasty skin some much needed sunshine! However one thing that can be difficult in the summer is finding the right make-up look. One that offers some sort of "made-up" look but doesn't leave your skin feeling weighed down & even hotter. Plus, who wants to spend all that time applying make-up for it to simply melt off within an hour?!

I'm 100% not "wears make-up to the beach" kind of girl, but if I'm out & about throughout the summer months I do like to add a little something to my skin to cover up and redness and/or blemishes.

Here's an example of one of the looks I'm currently loving whilst the weather is on the warm side...

Products used: 

Foundation: Rimmel's Matte BB Cream [x]

Powder: Rimmel's Stay Matte Pressed Powder [x]

Bronzer: Rimmel's Sun Shimmer Bronzing Powder [x]

Brows: Rimmel's Professional Eye-brow Pencil [x]

Mascara: Maybelline Falsies [x]

Lip balm: The Body Shop's Born Lippy Balm [x]

Lipstick: Tophsop's Lipstick in shade "Falling Fast". 

(I can't find this exact shade on the Topshop website, however

you can find a very similar shade here)

Although a few of the items above I'd use all year round - the mascara & brow-pencil for example - I find that switching out my usual foundation for a BB cream allows for coverage without feeling to heavy on my skin.. which is a huge advantage on a warm day.

I've only applied a very faint layer of lipstick here - just enough to add a tiny pop of colour to my otherwise neutral look... but obviously a full layer can be added for something a little more vibrant.

What are your summer make-up essentials? 

xxx

Favourite Spring/Summer Accessory

When I hear the word hat I can't help but have flashbacks to being around 5 years old and running around on holiday with a *very out there* cap on to protect my little head - bonus points if there was a bit of material that rolled down to protect your neck.. Safety first!

But recently - I've rediscovered just how much of a difference a hat can have on an outfit..

After spotting this accessory in Primark - for the bargain price of only £8.00 - I thought the discovery was surely too good to be true. However once I got it home & tried it on, I was delighted to see that this hat - the absolute bargain - was perfect *grins and squeals in excitement*.

The more I look at this, the more I notice the odd shape of my
arm.. I'm pretty sure it's not always that lumpy?!

One of the main things that's fuelled my love for this spring/summer accessory is it's versatility. This can easily be used for multiple purposes.. Going for a posh lunch & need to dress up? Wear the floppy hat. Day shopping with the girls & feel your outfit is lacking? or - on the opposite end of the scale - popping into town & want to cover that 3 day old hair? (Seriously... who has time to wash hair these days?!) You can easily throw this on.

Unfortunately as Primark doesn't have a website I can't provide a link to this exact version. However I've linked a few that are available on the high-street.

New Look - Asos/River Island - Misguided 

What's your favourite spring/summer accessory?

xxx

Hello June

So we’ve left May behind and now June is here. I know everyone says this at the start of a new month – and I’m sure I’ll say it again too – but I cannot believe its June already! This year seems to be going ridiculously fast. It doesn’t seem like five minutes since everyone counting down to Christmas and now we’re half way through the year already… Complete madness!

I must say, as much as I love winter (snuggly clothing, Christmas, Halloween, Hot chocolates etc.) the spring/summer months are most definitely my favourite. Everything just seems so much happier in the summer. Lighter nights, brighter clothing and everyone showing a little more skin (cheeky)… During the winter, where I live seems to be permanently grey… yet it seems to almost transform in the summer. It’s still a big city, so I wouldn’t go as far as to describe it as pretty… but it’s definitely a big improvement on grey!

When these warmer months arrive, it seems like people come out of a type of hibernation. The sun starts to make an appearance and people do too! But if I’m honest I don’t blame anyone. It’s much more fun to be outside, having a BBQ or enjoying a drink when the suns out then trudging around in the rain and wind (when we’d all much rather be cozied up with a film and hot chocolate).

It’s a well-known funny stereotype that when the sun appears, so do us British people and as much as this makes me laugh - it’s true! But so what?! The suns out, so let’s go and have some fun, especially as this is the UK and it’ll probably rain again next week haha.

Before we know it the days will be shorter, the temperature will be cooling off again and we’ll all be planning our Halloween costumes or where to go and watch fireworks. Like I said, this year is going so quickly so I know I want to enjoy each part of it whilst it’s still around.

So, Hello June! Although a part of me desperately wants this year to slow down a little, I’m so happy to welcome you and cannot wait to dig out the rest of my summer wardrobe and enjoy making some summer memories!

Source