I lost my cat, Ruffles, about two months ago now and as stupid as it seems (to some non-animal lovers) there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him or miss his loving cuddles. Ruffles was a rescue cat, meaning we adopted him. He came from our local vet in Maida Vale, West London. Originally named Raphael, my little bundle of joy had jumped out of a 5th floor mansion block window and broken all four of his little legs and his jaw. The owners didn't want to pay the vet bills so had told the vet to put him down - it would be cheaper apparently. Luckily for us, the vet refused. Ruffles was only 11 months old at the time and such a beautiful souled cat at that. A lady vet, I actually forget her name it was so long ago, did all the work for free and started to look for a new home for him. Somehow, my neighbour had managed to persuade my mum to get a cat out of nowhere so off I went after school one day to meet him. He was perfect. It was love at first sight. It honestly was and that's probably why to this day, I believe in love at first sight. Because of him, because of that cat.
He had all four of his legs and under his chin shaved too they had wired up his jaw to set, but I was mesmerised. He was too cute and soon he was to be all mine. He was so friendly coming up to everyone and having a little cuddle. Thanks to a kind and caring vet, Ruffles was given another chance at life and he went on to live a happy and long life with us. Devastatingly it wasn't as long as would have hoped and we lost him at the end of September. We don't quite know what he died of, sadly. Like lots of cats, he went away to die and broke our hearts. He was 12, relatively young for a cat and had always loved life. We still have a photo up of him on our mantlepiece and speak of him/to the picture of him every day.
We had a little Mr. Ruffles (nickname for him amongst our friends) shaped hole in our lives, so a week ago we adopted a new cat, through Cats Protection. A little girl cat called Pippa. This is the second time we have adopted, and we wouldn't do it any other way, ever. The work these charities do, like the RSPCA and Cats Protection alike, are incredible. As adorable as they are why would you get a little puppy/kitten etc from a breeder compared to a poor animal that was unloved or neglected? You can change an animals life that hasn't necessarily had the chance to experience how great life can be, yet. And you'd be mistaken in thinking you can't get that perfect puppy you really wanted to complete your family through adoption. There were a few kittens at our local Cats Protection centre and quite a lot at our local RSPCA centre, too. When we were picking up Pippa I had the pleasure to meet all the other beautiful kitties wanting someone to love them. I left with half a heart. They had stolen the other half. I have never felt so guilty as I did then, walking away with Pippa when they were all perfect and I would happily taken them all. Animals should have an equal chance of a good life, like us. So if you are thinking about getting a little addition to the family, please please research your local animal welfare charities, and facilities and HEAD DOWN. I can almost guarantee you'll find one that you won't want to leave behind.
You'll find everything you need to rehome an animal with the RSPCA here http://www.rspca.org.uk/findapet/rehomeapet
The same here for adopting a cat through Cats Protection
http://www.cats.org.uk/adopt-a-cat
Favourite beauty product November | Sleek Highlighter
If I could wake up and look flawless every morning without make up, like some, I would embrace it and probably not wear any as it can be a hassle ometimes, can't it? Until then though, I would very much like my own personal make up artist to do their thang on me.
I've never been that great with make up. I massively struggle with a smokey eye or any sort of fancy looking eyeshadow looks for that matter and wish I could be just as slick with it as my best friend Jade is. If I've improved with my daily make up routine in the last few years it's all because I've taken on board tips from her.
A lot of products I also use, come recommended to me by my beauty guru and on-call expert Jade too. This particular brand of make up I've been using since last year when she bought me my first palette of theirs for Christmas. I had fallen in love with hers and the simplicity of it when she came to stay one night. As I'm not a natural talent with a make up brush this little creation was perfect for someone like me. The face form palette by Sleek Make up, in colour fair had me cooing like a new mother. It was my baby and it was beautiful. I loved the pale pink tone of the highlighter and how gorgeously it glistened on my cheek bones, not just in the light. It made contouring so simple for me. It almost seemed like I knew what I was doing. I love powder form highlighters and even invested in a gorgeous Shisheido trio palette too from feelunique, which can be found here.
Then I discovered another little helper from Sleek back in the summer and haven't felt the need to get any other product than this one. I didn't think it was possible but I love this palette more than the previous one. I purchased the Precious Metals Highlighting palette by Sleek after spying it in my local Superdrug and just thinking that all the colours in it looked oh, so pretty. Both palette's at just £10 are such a ridiculous steal. I love everything about this one including the packaging. It looks super stylish in a metallic grey box. Three of the colours colours are creams and blend so perfectly together. They compliment each other when used together. The iridescent sheen and shimmer to them give you a radiant glow that the Kardashian's glam team would be jealous of. It also comes with a gorgeous bronzed goddess powder to perfect the look adding to finish the contour. Ideal for use all over, you can add to the sides of your nose, top of lips, chin and corners of your head as well as your brow bone to define those eyes and brows. I've been using it daily for some months now and still looks close to as good as new, its lasted me ages I'm so so impressed. This just adds to the great value of money it is, when somethings this good and last this long you would happily pay more for it. So well done to the creators of Sleek Make up for bring such a fabulous and reasonably priced line to us all.
I get all of mine from Superdrug but you can get them from their website too. You can check out all their other amazing products too whilst you're there. I have loads of their lipsticks which are so good and reasonably priced also. Sleek highlighter palette
The battle of plastics for our beauty
Sunday, 18 October 2015
I've been meaning to do this post for a while now and sadly never got round to sitting down and dedicating the time it so rightly deserves. Some of you may remember a post I did in the Summer, where I touched on micro plastics and the devastating affects on our planet.
You can read that blog again here: How to: smooth summer legs
Plastics are all around us. Most shockingly, they are in the beauty products we apply to our face and skin, daily. Alarmingly too, a huge proportion of the population aren't aware of this and so the destruction of our beautiful planet continues to worsen. The implementation of the 5p charge for plastic bags in Britain this month, brought the issue to the forefront of my mind again.
Microplastics, or you may have heard it referred to as micro beads, are added to the every day products we use. They are too fine for us to notice half the time. They're in things you would never dream of, such as toothpaste, shampoo/shower gel and even deodorant. I have been aware of the issue for a few years and although I backed the cause, I didn't make a conscious effort to adhere to it all the time. After being reminded of the importance of it, I've tried to the last couple of years. I've tried to make sure I only use beauty products that don't contain unnecessary plastics. I've always liked St. Ives skincare, a UK brand which uses natural ingredients. According to St. Ives "we make every effort to source our ingredients sustainably, cut waste, and use eco-friendly packaging." Keep up the good work guys.
In 2011, a Dutch non-government organisation, the North Sea Foundation made the first steps to abolish plastics use in cosmetics. They started writing to companies asking them to stop using microbeads as soon as they could. Not long after, in 2012, the Beat the Microbead campaign was launched by the North Sea Foundation and the Plastic soup foundation. After a revolutionary twitter campaign, Unilever, pharmaceutical giant agreed to phase out the use of microbeads across all their products. Global companies like Johnson and Johnson, L'oreal, Procter and Gamble and Colgate have also followed suit since then but haven't given a fix date as to when they will have phased out use by.
This is why the campaign needs backing. Change is happening, change is coming but it's not coming soon enough. More needs to be done in order to combat this.
Selfridges backed a similar campaign this summer, called Project Ocean. It had the same premise behind it - to make our ocean's better, with less plastic in it, for our wildlife. Microbeads from our products go to one place only, our oceans. They are washed away down our plug holes and affect the smaller creatures that can't stand up and fight for themselves. You can read more about the campaign here.
I did a little test the other day to see how readily available microbead free products were on an average high street. I went in to my local Boots and Superdrug, Body Shop and Lush looking for some of the microbead free products found on the PDF below. Result: I found nearly all of them. There really isn't any excuse. Thanks to the companies who have already stopped, we can easily make the change to plastic free products nowadays.
Here's a PDF where you can read through all the products currently on the market that are microbead free, yourself. Why don't you check it out and see if your products are on there? You might surprise yourself and realise you're doing more for your planet than you realised.
There are so many great companies on that list, all doing their bit to damage the planet less.
To name a few...Kheil's, Lush, Soap and Glory (I always buy from Boots), Elemis and of course The Body Shop.
Shops such as Waitrose, Tesco and Wilko also make plastic free cosmetic products. A huge shout out to all of them (and the rest on the list).
If you'd like to read more, you can on the website for the national campaign against micro beads here.
If you'd like to do some further background reading on it, you might like these too:
Citizen's campaign
A guardian article
You can join the Facebook campaign, by liking the page.
*Photo taken from Greenpeace's website. You can read their article on the issue here.
You can read that blog again here: How to: smooth summer legs
Plastics are all around us. Most shockingly, they are in the beauty products we apply to our face and skin, daily. Alarmingly too, a huge proportion of the population aren't aware of this and so the destruction of our beautiful planet continues to worsen. The implementation of the 5p charge for plastic bags in Britain this month, brought the issue to the forefront of my mind again.
Microplastics, or you may have heard it referred to as micro beads, are added to the every day products we use. They are too fine for us to notice half the time. They're in things you would never dream of, such as toothpaste, shampoo/shower gel and even deodorant. I have been aware of the issue for a few years and although I backed the cause, I didn't make a conscious effort to adhere to it all the time. After being reminded of the importance of it, I've tried to the last couple of years. I've tried to make sure I only use beauty products that don't contain unnecessary plastics. I've always liked St. Ives skincare, a UK brand which uses natural ingredients. According to St. Ives "we make every effort to source our ingredients sustainably, cut waste, and use eco-friendly packaging." Keep up the good work guys.
In 2011, a Dutch non-government organisation, the North Sea Foundation made the first steps to abolish plastics use in cosmetics. They started writing to companies asking them to stop using microbeads as soon as they could. Not long after, in 2012, the Beat the Microbead campaign was launched by the North Sea Foundation and the Plastic soup foundation. After a revolutionary twitter campaign, Unilever, pharmaceutical giant agreed to phase out the use of microbeads across all their products. Global companies like Johnson and Johnson, L'oreal, Procter and Gamble and Colgate have also followed suit since then but haven't given a fix date as to when they will have phased out use by.
This is why the campaign needs backing. Change is happening, change is coming but it's not coming soon enough. More needs to be done in order to combat this.
Selfridges backed a similar campaign this summer, called Project Ocean. It had the same premise behind it - to make our ocean's better, with less plastic in it, for our wildlife. Microbeads from our products go to one place only, our oceans. They are washed away down our plug holes and affect the smaller creatures that can't stand up and fight for themselves. You can read more about the campaign here.
I did a little test the other day to see how readily available microbead free products were on an average high street. I went in to my local Boots and Superdrug, Body Shop and Lush looking for some of the microbead free products found on the PDF below. Result: I found nearly all of them. There really isn't any excuse. Thanks to the companies who have already stopped, we can easily make the change to plastic free products nowadays.
Here's a PDF where you can read through all the products currently on the market that are microbead free, yourself. Why don't you check it out and see if your products are on there? You might surprise yourself and realise you're doing more for your planet than you realised.
There are so many great companies on that list, all doing their bit to damage the planet less.
To name a few...Kheil's, Lush, Soap and Glory (I always buy from Boots), Elemis and of course The Body Shop.
Shops such as Waitrose, Tesco and Wilko also make plastic free cosmetic products. A huge shout out to all of them (and the rest on the list).
If you'd like to read more, you can on the website for the national campaign against micro beads here.
Citizen's campaign
A guardian article
You can join the Facebook campaign, by liking the page.
*Photo taken from Greenpeace's website. You can read their article on the issue here.
The winter boot
After working in retail for more than five years, you learn a few things. One thing you learn is as soon as summer and festival (aka wellie) season is over, comes boot season!
Certain footwear would go from the forefront of the store to the back of the store and a big move with lots of VM (Visual Merchandising) would occur.
While I may not be happy its Autumn, Summer is over, AND I already require gloves because of Reynaud's Syndrome, I am okay with it being boot season again. This year there are so many cute styles around I'm having to force myself to keep away from online shopping and window shopping as I simply don't have the funds for all the pairs I want at the moment.
Here's a break down of just some of the cute boots around this A/W.
1. The over the knee
POOR V POSH
You can pick up an identical looking pair at InTheStyle for £44.99 instead, that's less than a tenth of the price. You can thank me later.
2. The just below the knee
Normally I'm not a fan of these. They're very hit or miss and usually always a miss. You have to get them just right for them not to look silly. Topshop have delivered this year though. I have to hand it to them, these are an absolute gem.
3. The Cowboy
Schuh and Office did an excellent selection of cowboy boots last year but my favourite pair and most comfortable/best value for money came from Schuh in the end. I don't need to buy a new pair this year because despite wearing them to death my pair are still in excellent condition. However, these are too different to turn down. I love how Zara have done a different take on the traditional cowboy.
Certain footwear would go from the forefront of the store to the back of the store and a big move with lots of VM (Visual Merchandising) would occur.
While I may not be happy its Autumn, Summer is over, AND I already require gloves because of Reynaud's Syndrome, I am okay with it being boot season again. This year there are so many cute styles around I'm having to force myself to keep away from online shopping and window shopping as I simply don't have the funds for all the pairs I want at the moment.
Here's a break down of just some of the cute boots around this A/W.
1. The over the knee
The Highland boot by Stuart Weitzman, £595 at Russell and Bromley.
The classic boot that every celeb goes to at the moment. Stuart Weitzman has been very popular with the Brits in recent years and it's no wonder why. They are works of boot art.
I'm all about the wintery colour pops this year and so I fell in love with this statement deep red Weitzman boot instead of the classic black. This rich colour will add life to any bland outfit. I'm desperate for a pair just because they look so gorgeous on, with a casual day dress. This colour channels lots of boho vibes which are still very much in at the moment.
You can browse here.
POOR V POSH
You can pick up an identical looking pair at InTheStyle for £44.99 instead, that's less than a tenth of the price. You can thank me later.
2. The just below the knee
Normally I'm not a fan of these. They're very hit or miss and usually always a miss. You have to get them just right for them not to look silly. Topshop have delivered this year though. I have to hand it to them, these are an absolute gem.
This gorgeous Khaki suede has this boot winning on so many levels. Keeping to my theme of coloured boots this winter too. They're heeled to dress up an outfit but can also be casual accompanying a pair of jeans for a more low key affair.
You can get there here for just £89 from Topshop.
3. The Cowboy
Schuh and Office did an excellent selection of cowboy boots last year but my favourite pair and most comfortable/best value for money came from Schuh in the end. I don't need to buy a new pair this year because despite wearing them to death my pair are still in excellent condition. However, these are too different to turn down. I love how Zara have done a different take on the traditional cowboy.
The unusual heel and elongated cuff around the ankle gives the elusion of a totally different feel. These will look less pixie like on your feet whilst wearing a dress. The leg to foot will flow better and give the appearance of longer legs. I have long legs, but even I struggle when certain boots cut you off half way making your legs look shorter and fatter. Also, no one has a cowboy boot in grey now really do they. A must buy!
Get them here, £69.99 by Zara.
4. The Autumnal orange
This colour is everywhere this season and I must say how glad I am of it. It's divine! Anyway credit goes to Zara again for pulling out all the stops.
I love these, they're another over the knee but you can never have too many of those, right? These have a chunkier feel to them with a thick heel and huge cuff at the top. They have a little puss-in-boots-esque feel about them but do you know what? I kind of like that.
These can be shopped at Zara.com for £79.99.
5. The heeled chelsea
I'm a bit over the classic chelsea boot by now, if I'm honest. Also happen to be really into my heeled boots at the moment...not sure you can tell though.
£39.99, New Look.
If that's too much for you though, they have an almost identical pair for near half the price.
Can't tell the difference? No, neither can I. Shop these here, for £24.99.
These look smart and sleek but also really casual if you want them, too. Teamed with a thick, chunky knit scarf and a boyfriend coat you've got the casual chelsea look nailed.
Like this:
Scarf, 22.99 Zara.
Coat, £29.99 New Look.
6. The fake croc
Enough words said. They should be a statement boot on everyones boot list this year.
£90, Office.
This seasons hottest trends | 3 best bags under £30
Thursday, 1 October 2015
This autumn, and well last summer too, we've been going crazy for Chloe dupes. They're literally everywhere and the internet/social media platforms have been abuzz with chatter of where to get the best lookalike. Well look no further. Zara, everyone's favourite Spanish high street brand has got you covered this a/w.
The Chloe dupe
It's slim-line, elegant and a steal at under £20. Bae is just £19.99 and channels all your inner fashion blogger into one item. I'm so in love with this bag even more now as I used it last weekend and I managed to fit loads in, including my large Ted Baker purse, a large Denman paddle brush, and a few lipsticks. Doesn't sound a lot? It fit all the essentials you need, I even had space to add a few make up brushes for emergency touch ups. The teaming of two season favourites, suede and snakeskin in the brown version makes it my favourite. I love the rich yellowy mustard colour that's so in this year with the 70s vibe. I had to get the black one as well mind, as I'm going through a massive black phase and you can't go wrong with a plain black leather bag to go with everything.
The snakeskin classic
I love the shade of this snakeskin, the deep red/brown colouring with a sneaky mix of red on the back already makes it one of my favourite clutch bags this season. It's a gorgeous shape, with a classic gold detailing chain for a strap. Bonus: it looks way more expensive than a cool £29.99 (which is how much this baby will set you back). It's a no brainer. I've had a look around and you won't find any else on the high street that look as good as these three do.
The Chloe dupe
It's slim-line, elegant and a steal at under £20. Bae is just £19.99 and channels all your inner fashion blogger into one item. I'm so in love with this bag even more now as I used it last weekend and I managed to fit loads in, including my large Ted Baker purse, a large Denman paddle brush, and a few lipsticks. Doesn't sound a lot? It fit all the essentials you need, I even had space to add a few make up brushes for emergency touch ups. The teaming of two season favourites, suede and snakeskin in the brown version makes it my favourite. I love the rich yellowy mustard colour that's so in this year with the 70s vibe. I had to get the black one as well mind, as I'm going through a massive black phase and you can't go wrong with a plain black leather bag to go with everything.
Brown one: here
Black one: here
The snakeskin classic
I love the shade of this snakeskin, the deep red/brown colouring with a sneaky mix of red on the back already makes it one of my favourite clutch bags this season. It's a gorgeous shape, with a classic gold detailing chain for a strap. Bonus: it looks way more expensive than a cool £29.99 (which is how much this baby will set you back). It's a no brainer. I've had a look around and you won't find any else on the high street that look as good as these three do.
Beauty favourites | September
It dawned on me the other day that I never did a big post on my duty free haul that I got this time last year from my Dubai trip.
This time around I picked up a few more beauty bits from duty free before my recent trip to Croatia (Croatia was fab btw, I know you're all curious). Here's a sneak peak at some of the photos yet to come...
It's a bit of a luxury beauty post this one, as you can see all my favourite beauty items this month are Chanel. I picked up the Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Creme in Duty Free at Bristol airport before heading out to Split, along with the Chanel Perfection Lumiere long-wear foundation in 50 Beige. My favourite lipstick colour that I'm binging on at the moment is one I picked up in Selfridges as a bit of an impulse buy whilst in London last month, for my Aunty's birthday. One present for her, one present for me. Oopsy.
I love the Hydra gel creme so much, I've had samples of it for years and the tiniest little tube has always lasted me ages. Since I've been a full time working gal/adult (whatever you like to call it) coming up to a year now I can afford my own luxuries in life. I mean as much as it pains me to say this, a Chanel face cream isn't exactly a necessity in life. However a gal who cares about her facial care routine definitely does! It's so worth it. It smells divine, honestly my favourite smell ever. The Dior one is just as amazing might I add but painfully more expensive. The gel creme feels less creamier and so a tad lighter and more breathable on the skin. I find it disappears into my skin quicker, leaving no excessively shiny residue. It smelt just as good as the the creme which happens to be the more expensive one. Who needs it anyway? Not me, or you! My skin is left so soft and hydrated for hours after using it. I love using it first thing in the morning as a base for my make up as well as at night after I've taken all my make up off. One of my favourite purchases in a long long time.
The lipstick is from the Rouge Coco collection, in Coco. It's a fabulously vibrant red with an ever so slight orange tinge. I love this one so much as the rouge coco collection lipstick are so much nicer than the rouge allure luminous collection if you're not quite accustomed lipsticks. It's a nice go between the rouge coco shine and the rouge allure. Rouge Coco Shine is as soft and shiny as a balm and glides on like perfection where as the rouge allure is thick and heavy but gives amazing bold colour looks. The coco is perfect as you can go for a little colour or put more on in order to build a bold coverage.
The Perfection Lumiere is perfection, full stop. I don't need to say much more apart from I've found my favourite foundation. Time before usingChanel foundation just doesn't count. Using a damp Real Techniques beauty blender I get a perfect, light and dewy coverage, one that non make up artist girls like myself can only dream of. My other absolute favourite foundation that I swear by is the second Chanel brought out following the Lumiere, Vitalumiere Aqua. Aqua meaning water so it's a lot lighter and subtle. This is a favourite for summer it covers imperfections effortlessly yet gives you the effect that you're wearing little or no make up. Those awesome freckles you get in the summer can still be seen so your make up looks so natural. My skin is the softest I've ever felt it when wearing these two, could genuinely sit there stroking my own face and appreciating it's softness. Why can't guys appreciate that eh? *sigh* Ah well a girl can dream...
This time around I picked up a few more beauty bits from duty free before my recent trip to Croatia (Croatia was fab btw, I know you're all curious). Here's a sneak peak at some of the photos yet to come...
Dreamy right?
_________________________________________
My beauty favourites atm:
It's a bit of a luxury beauty post this one, as you can see all my favourite beauty items this month are Chanel. I picked up the Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Creme in Duty Free at Bristol airport before heading out to Split, along with the Chanel Perfection Lumiere long-wear foundation in 50 Beige. My favourite lipstick colour that I'm binging on at the moment is one I picked up in Selfridges as a bit of an impulse buy whilst in London last month, for my Aunty's birthday. One present for her, one present for me. Oopsy.
I love the Hydra gel creme so much, I've had samples of it for years and the tiniest little tube has always lasted me ages. Since I've been a full time working gal/adult (whatever you like to call it) coming up to a year now I can afford my own luxuries in life. I mean as much as it pains me to say this, a Chanel face cream isn't exactly a necessity in life. However a gal who cares about her facial care routine definitely does! It's so worth it. It smells divine, honestly my favourite smell ever. The Dior one is just as amazing might I add but painfully more expensive. The gel creme feels less creamier and so a tad lighter and more breathable on the skin. I find it disappears into my skin quicker, leaving no excessively shiny residue. It smelt just as good as the the creme which happens to be the more expensive one. Who needs it anyway? Not me, or you! My skin is left so soft and hydrated for hours after using it. I love using it first thing in the morning as a base for my make up as well as at night after I've taken all my make up off. One of my favourite purchases in a long long time.
The lipstick is from the Rouge Coco collection, in Coco. It's a fabulously vibrant red with an ever so slight orange tinge. I love this one so much as the rouge coco collection lipstick are so much nicer than the rouge allure luminous collection if you're not quite accustomed lipsticks. It's a nice go between the rouge coco shine and the rouge allure. Rouge Coco Shine is as soft and shiny as a balm and glides on like perfection where as the rouge allure is thick and heavy but gives amazing bold colour looks. The coco is perfect as you can go for a little colour or put more on in order to build a bold coverage.
The Perfection Lumiere is perfection, full stop. I don't need to say much more apart from I've found my favourite foundation. Time before usingChanel foundation just doesn't count. Using a damp Real Techniques beauty blender I get a perfect, light and dewy coverage, one that non make up artist girls like myself can only dream of. My other absolute favourite foundation that I swear by is the second Chanel brought out following the Lumiere, Vitalumiere Aqua. Aqua meaning water so it's a lot lighter and subtle. This is a favourite for summer it covers imperfections effortlessly yet gives you the effect that you're wearing little or no make up. Those awesome freckles you get in the summer can still be seen so your make up looks so natural. My skin is the softest I've ever felt it when wearing these two, could genuinely sit there stroking my own face and appreciating it's softness. Why can't guys appreciate that eh? *sigh* Ah well a girl can dream...
Vitalumiere Aqua, in 40 Beige.
New in | August
Wednesday, 30 September 2015
This blog post is back from August that I've been sitting on for a while. Sorry, but alas it is finally up!
I've had a few new purchases recently that I'm totally in love at the moment, despite having them a couple of months already. I'm so in awe of them I've almost refrained from using them in case they tarnish. Gal can not be having that!
1. My new phone case | Willow of London
www.willowoflondon.co.uk
I'm obsessed with personalised things. You name it, I'll either have it or want it. Like a magpie drawn to shiny things I was in love when I when I came across London based company, Willow of London. I stumbled upon the awesome company on Instagram and any girl knows how much shopping can happen on Insta, am I right? See it, want it, get it. WOL's pretty mix of simple designs and fun prints means there's a design for everyone. I couldn't decided. I wanted them all if I'm honest but at £39 a pop I think I'm going to have to stick to just one (for the time being anyway). As soon as I can justify a new one to my bank manager (ahem myself) I will though. The new designs featuring French Bull dogs and Dacshounds are too cute. They are almost too much cuteness, I've had to hold myself back from ordering one. Their products are not just appreciated by many bloggers and customers, their fans also include celeb customers such as Rochelle Humes, Rita Ora, Binky Felstead and Ladies of London star Caroline Stanbury, who even has her own collection for Willow of London. I had excellent customer service with great response time and couldn't recommend them more. Their stuff is just to die for, go on treat yourself to an ultra chic phone case this sunny September. I just need to get myself a more autumnal/wintery coloured one now.
Make sure to follow them on Instagram, you can check them out here.
2. Blog notebook | Chroma Stationery
www.chromastationery.co.uk
Both my phone cover and my personalised notebook I was so impressed with when they arrived I avoided using them for as long as possible. The suspense was overwhelming and I nearly caved so many times. 100% worth it. I recently took it to Croatia with me for all my jottings down and it just came in so handy. Chroma are a fantastic company that I've used in the past for a present for someone. I love what they stand for and their flexibility. They will literally put anything on a notebook for you! So of course they're very popular in the blogging world because there are plenty of girls around, like me, who swoon at the thought of their blog's logo printed on to something very real. And they're useful, they're not just some unnecessary item that you're going to coo over because its pretty. Every girl that likes to write needs something she can write all her inner ramblings for in and bloggers alike for upcoming blog posts. It looks very profesh in meetings too, bonus. You can get them in loads of different gorgeous colours and there are also a few different styles of notebooks, to match your needs. It's safe to say this wasn't my last purchase. I will be buying all my future blogging notepads from Chroma. This little pink book has got me so excited for writing. I also bought my best friend and fellow blogger over at www.twentysomethingxo.com one at the same time. Now we match in super cool style and it's like a friendship thing. She adores hers too and I'm not surprised. The guys over at Chroma Stationery rock! Thanks for my awesome pad guys.
I'm itching for the grey next, let me know which ones you love! If you have one, you can share a picture below or tweet me @kchardenengland
You can follow Chroma on Insta here.
3. My new shoulder/clutch bag | Topshop
www.topshop.co.uk
I picked up this little beauty in the sale a few weekends back. It's a gorgeous colour, a pinky nude that comes back in every season. The effortless gold detailing makes it look expensive, when in actual fact it was a bargain at just £18. It's real leather as well and it's timeless classic shape means that this will be a key accessory for many years to come (for as long as it lasts). A great investment to team up with many outfits. It can be styled as a casual day shoulder bag or dressed up as a clutch for those glam night outs. It also comes in white. Be sure to check out the Topshop sale for other great finds!
Update: it now comes in black for this A/W collection. Shop it here.
I love black at the moment, I'm totally digging the all black, biker chic and a simple black leather bag teams up with this kind of outfit so well. You can never have enough black. Even better, this bag channels the vibe of a Whistles clutch but for under the price. Good steal girls, good steal.
I've had a few new purchases recently that I'm totally in love at the moment, despite having them a couple of months already. I'm so in awe of them I've almost refrained from using them in case they tarnish. Gal can not be having that!
1. My new phone case | Willow of London
www.willowoflondon.co.uk
I'm obsessed with personalised things. You name it, I'll either have it or want it. Like a magpie drawn to shiny things I was in love when I when I came across London based company, Willow of London. I stumbled upon the awesome company on Instagram and any girl knows how much shopping can happen on Insta, am I right? See it, want it, get it. WOL's pretty mix of simple designs and fun prints means there's a design for everyone. I couldn't decided. I wanted them all if I'm honest but at £39 a pop I think I'm going to have to stick to just one (for the time being anyway). As soon as I can justify a new one to my bank manager (ahem myself) I will though. The new designs featuring French Bull dogs and Dacshounds are too cute. They are almost too much cuteness, I've had to hold myself back from ordering one. Their products are not just appreciated by many bloggers and customers, their fans also include celeb customers such as Rochelle Humes, Rita Ora, Binky Felstead and Ladies of London star Caroline Stanbury, who even has her own collection for Willow of London. I had excellent customer service with great response time and couldn't recommend them more. Their stuff is just to die for, go on treat yourself to an ultra chic phone case this sunny September. I just need to get myself a more autumnal/wintery coloured one now.
Make sure to follow them on Instagram, you can check them out here.
2. Blog notebook | Chroma Stationery
www.chromastationery.co.uk
Both my phone cover and my personalised notebook I was so impressed with when they arrived I avoided using them for as long as possible. The suspense was overwhelming and I nearly caved so many times. 100% worth it. I recently took it to Croatia with me for all my jottings down and it just came in so handy. Chroma are a fantastic company that I've used in the past for a present for someone. I love what they stand for and their flexibility. They will literally put anything on a notebook for you! So of course they're very popular in the blogging world because there are plenty of girls around, like me, who swoon at the thought of their blog's logo printed on to something very real. And they're useful, they're not just some unnecessary item that you're going to coo over because its pretty. Every girl that likes to write needs something she can write all her inner ramblings for in and bloggers alike for upcoming blog posts. It looks very profesh in meetings too, bonus. You can get them in loads of different gorgeous colours and there are also a few different styles of notebooks, to match your needs. It's safe to say this wasn't my last purchase. I will be buying all my future blogging notepads from Chroma. This little pink book has got me so excited for writing. I also bought my best friend and fellow blogger over at www.twentysomethingxo.com one at the same time. Now we match in super cool style and it's like a friendship thing. She adores hers too and I'm not surprised. The guys over at Chroma Stationery rock! Thanks for my awesome pad guys.
I'm itching for the grey next, let me know which ones you love! If you have one, you can share a picture below or tweet me @kchardenengland
You can follow Chroma on Insta here.
3. My new shoulder/clutch bag | Topshop
www.topshop.co.uk
I picked up this little beauty in the sale a few weekends back. It's a gorgeous colour, a pinky nude that comes back in every season. The effortless gold detailing makes it look expensive, when in actual fact it was a bargain at just £18. It's real leather as well and it's timeless classic shape means that this will be a key accessory for many years to come (for as long as it lasts). A great investment to team up with many outfits. It can be styled as a casual day shoulder bag or dressed up as a clutch for those glam night outs. It also comes in white. Be sure to check out the Topshop sale for other great finds!
Update: it now comes in black for this A/W collection. Shop it here.
I love black at the moment, I'm totally digging the all black, biker chic and a simple black leather bag teams up with this kind of outfit so well. You can never have enough black. Even better, this bag channels the vibe of a Whistles clutch but for under the price. Good steal girls, good steal.
Shop this gorgeous deep green clutch (a hot colour this season) here
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