Right now i’m consumed by the heady smell of fresh paint and the thick scent of new carpets. Bliss. I’d been waiting for this day for so long. The house had been on and then off and then on again and the process had taken so much longer than we expected, it got to the point where I was making myself feel ill with the stress of it. But alas, that’s all in the past now – we’re finally living in our new home. I’ve never felt prouder or happier and whilst there is still some way to go in terms of decorating, things are coming together pretty well. Even my mum and dad were pretty impressed with how we have it and they both say I have absolutely zero taste in home decor.
House move aside, amongst the manic month that has been February, I have made sure I had a full diary to keep busy whilst my life was in boxes. One of my 2018 new years resolutions was to see much more of the people I love – Though, as half of my life is split at the other side of the country, this can sometimes be a challenge however, I have adored having my nearest and dearest sat around my table eating brunch, or having a late night glass of wine with my best friend catching up on what’s been going on. People are good for the soul and it has reminded me how proud of myself I am for setting up a new phase of my life in an unfamiliar city. (Yeah, I know it’s been like 5 years now, but still!)
Podcast: Due to a change in work at the beginning of the year, my commute was extended, a journey that once took around 25 minutes now takes me 45 on a good day. I’m okay with that though because it gives me extra time to listen to my favourite podcasts. My latest discovery this month is (i’m sorry) by Dolly Alderton, yeah, yeah I know why don’t I just be her already – but her latest podcast ‘Love Stories (created in-conjunction with the release of her new book, but more on that later) is a celebration of love, passion, heartbreak and intimacy. My favourite episode is her frank conversation with the enigmatic and wonderful Cosmo Landesman. Cosmo speaks so beautifully about women and his experiences of love. I also thoroughly enjoyed hearing about his parents Fran and Jay who sound like they were really quite something.
Film:If you’d like to know an embarrassing fact about me, it’s that the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy is a one of my guiltiest pleasures. Going to see the films has been a ritual myself and my best pal Hannah have done for the past 3 years. I recently saw ’50 Shades Freed’ and whilst it was so twee and cheesy, it was my favourite of the 3 films. Ana and Christian, the lead characters are more grown up and instead of being sleezy, it has more romantic storyline. One takeaway is that Ana’s styling is on. point. It’s chic and classic with a French vibe going on. 8/10 from me!
I laughed out loud Lucy Dunn’s article ‘You’re not messy, it’s your partner/dog/colleague that’s messy.’ – this part in-particular really resonated with me.
This is my life living with Adam. I am constantly finding things in the wrong place and the most random stuff shoved in cupboards. It’s usually the shoes strewn all over the living room, the washing overflowing out of the washer door, or the shampoo and conditioners stood with their lids off, tipped upside down in the shower – This isn’t to mention the nails and screws and tools hidden in the cutlery drawer – It drives me insane!
Okay, so i’m not going to apologise but i’ve read ‘Everything I Know About Love‘ and it was flipping amazing. The book, a debut novel by Dolly Alderton is a personal memoir which sees Dolly and her mates navigating love and life, loss and friendships. It had me nodding along (especially the parts about msn and the power of logging out and in again to make your crush notice you) and it also had me reaching for the tissues. Read this book – you won’t regret it.
And finally, Anna Hart’s article for The Pool, ‘How Solo Travel Taught One Woman What She Wanted From A Relationship‘ was such a tonic to read – Often we see other people’s holiday snaps depicting wide toothy smiles against a beautiful backdrop of the turquoise ocean, or a beautiful cityscape. Anna says it how it is:
Anna shares all the different couples she’s witnessed whilst she’s travelled alone, she’s taken mental notes about all of them and thought about the ones that will last and why. A must read and such a well thought out piece.
As I mentioned in my ode to 50 Shades Freed above, I have become obsessed with Ana’s styling and makeup. Now, i’m not sure if Dakota Johnson, who plays Ana has had some filler injections put in her lips to make them look so full, but they just look so plump and pink. I’ve been recreating her lip colour with a lipgloss from Burt’s Bees. The shade I have is ‘Evening Glow’ and it was gifted to me in the Date Night box from Latest in Beauty (You can still purchase that box here if you’re interested) Evening Glow is a gorgeous pearl finish shade of raspberry/plum that gives you perfectly just bitten lips, whats more… all of the ingredients are 100% natural.
Cream blushes are also a newly coveted product that i’ve been calling upon time and time again. My current favourite is by KIKO and is their Velvet Touch Cream Silk Blush in the shade, 04 ‘Hot Pink‘ – a pop of this beauty gives you dewy, healthy looking skin with a pink toned flush. Sure, it looks kinda scary in the bullet – but it’s actually a really gorgeous and diverse colour.
Oil based skincare is my favourite. And so i’m always on the look out for new oil based products to try. This month my hero product has been the ‘Moroccan Rose Oil‘ from Dr Botanicals. I apply on naked skin straight out of the bath. Packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Almond Oil – my skin feels softer and more radiant immediately after use. It’s also worth noting that this facial oil not tested on animals.
I read somewhere that the classic Nivea cream produced in Germany is a dupe for Creme De La Mer skincare. Sounds good to me, so I picked up a pot for a few quid in Boots. This seriously thick, cream is what i’ve been basting my face in for the past couple of weeks. It takes ages to sink in and leaves my face looking more Casper-esc than normal but it certainly leaves my skin feeling soft and supple – sadly, i’ve yet to try Creme De La Mer skincare, so I couldn’t tell you if it’s a dead ringer but it does the job for me!
Over the course of February, i’ve been trying to work out what the undertone hue of my skin is. I’ve come to the conclusion that I must be neutral because silver and gold jewellery both look good against my skin, I suit almost any hair colour and my veins are both blue and green.
Anyhow when it comes to jewellery, i’m a mixed metal kind of gal and with this in mind i’ve recently been coveting a new bracelet from Browns family jewellers. Feel like you’ve seen the name before? See this post featuring the most beautiful earrings ever and so I was really excited to try a new piece from their collection.
The beautiful silver bracelet i’m talking about is from Vamp London at Browns Family Jewellers. It’s a piece of jewellery i’ve been wearing not stop all thanks to it’s dainty nature and ability to make any outfit look chic. For anyone interested, it’s their Rio beaded silver bracelet – Vamp London say that this bracelet is inspired by the electric theatre of Brazilian lifestyle. I like to layer mine with my silver Nick Cabana watch and of course a few other bangles to mix a more minimal feel with my usual eclectic layered look. If you’re looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, have a look on the Brown’s site, there’s a range of amazing jewellery to suit all budgets.
