I did a post a few weeks back on my recent River Island purchases – well I had to go back for more!
I absolutely loved my asymmetric knit so much I got this one too – slight difference is that this one has a tie waist (£32) which I think makes it even more versatile and flattering.
Great with jeans (also River Island) and even these faux leather culottes from Zara.
I also got this beautiful a-line leopard print, zip front skirt (£35) which looks great with the knit too.
Being someone of darker skin, high street / drugstore foundations can often be challenging. This is of course frustrating as I don’t always want to spend loads on foundation.
However, I have found two that are almost identical and suit my skin perfectly.They are Revlon Colorstay in Caramel (£12.99) and Rimmel Match Perfection in Mocha (£7.99).
Both have got medium to full coverage and are a really good match for me. As you can see below you can barely tell them apart (Revlon on top).
On my skin they are hard to tell apart so I have only taken a photo of the Revlon – but trust me even I can’t tell the difference! This is just the foundation with some blush, eyeshadow, mascara and lipstick, no concealed or powder.
Apologies for the errant hair from my makeup brush on my forehead!!
I love the finish of these two foundations and their lasting power is pretty good too. Very happy with these drugstore options for darker skin.
I recently stumbled across Lola’s Apothecary whilst looking for some new bath oils. I have a bath every night – I really mean every night. I adore my baths and they have to be fragrant and candle lit! I was looking for a potent bath oil that would help ease a cold and thats when I found the Restorative Winter Clarifying Bath & Shower Oil (£30) from Lola’s Apothecary.
I was immediately drawn to the beautiful packaging and natural ingredients. The Winter bath and shower oil has “a powerfully medicinal scent with Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Sweet Marjoram at its herbaceous core, uplifted by the freshness of Peppermint and Lemon”. It is definitely powerful in a good way and certainly helped me through my last winter cold.
Intrigued I decided I wanted to try the Bathing Rituals Travel Set (£40). This set contains five bath and shower oils:
– Delicate Romance Balancing Bath & Shower Oil 30ml
– Tranquil Isle Relaxing Bath & Shower Oil 30ml
– Restorative Winter Clarifying Bath & Shower Oil 30ml
– Orange Patisserie Warming Bath & Shower Oil 30ml
– Sweet Lullaby Soothing Bath & Shower Oil 30ml
And it also came with a Rainbows & Whirlwinds Tea Mini Pack.
I am totally obsessed with these bath oils. They are so strong and last for ages and smell utterly heavenly. A must have for the ultimate indulgent bathing experience!
I love a good statement earring and these from Zara (£9.99) are just so unique. I like that they are mismatched which makes them much more interesting.
Perfect to add a touch of glamour to any outfit.
I am sure most of you will have heard of Clarins Eau Dynamisante as I guess that was the original “Treatment Fragrance”. I only recently realised there were other fragrances in the range and I fell in love with this one – Eau Ressourcante (£32).
This fragrance is a blend of essential oils of Basil, Iris, Cedarwood and Sarsaparilla. It is meant to promote a feeling of total relaxation while providing scented moisture. It is also a non-photosensitising formula which is safe enough to wear in the sun.
This was my holiday fragrance when I went to Cyprus in the summer. It was fresh and perfect in the heat, and because it is a treatment fragrance my skin felt moisturised after spraying this, so I even took it to the beach with me!
Although I thought this would just be a summer fragrance I have found myself using it quite often this autumn. I think its because it has quite a spicy element to it, so perfect all year round.
I think sequins can be made to look cool and not too overdressed. I particularly love a good sequin skirt and found these two on Asos whilst browsing for an evening wedding reception outfit.
The first is actually a dress but looks like a skirt and top – this works really well as the top is simple and subtle and really balances out the sequins on the skirt. It’s the TFNC Midi Dress With Sequin Leaf Wrap Skirt (£25 reduced from £50).
Second is this absolutely stunning Rock & Religion Mermaid Sequin Midi Skirt (£29 reduced from £47.50). I love the combination of the simple black polo neck and the very glam skirt.
And finally an old sequin skirt from New Look paired with an assymetric knit from River Island.
I am definitely ready for Christmas party season now!
Batiste have expanded beyond the dry shampoo realm to bring a range of styling products. The one that immediately caught my attention was the Heat and Shine Spray (£4.49). Finally a dry heat protection spray!
I use curlers on my hair almost everyday to refresh my style and this spray is perfect for that. I just lightly spray my hair all over and its instantly ready to be curled. Most hair protection sprays make your hair wet so you have to wait for it to dry before you can get on with whatever heat styler you use. This cuts out all that and you can spray and style! It genuinely saves me a good 5-10 minutes of hanging around on a busy work morning which for me is genius.
The second one I grabbed was the Frizz Tamer – a lightweight dry frizz spray (£4.49). It also has Keratin and Inca Inchi oil which helps to protect and nourish. This is really easy to use and doesn’t weigh my hair down and it most definitely works.
Oh and these both smell gorgeous – not like hair spray at all, more fruity and fresh!
This is not about my beauty or skincare routine, but what I do in the mornings. I started reading My Morning Routine and really enjoy it. It is inspiring to read what people do in the mornings to get themselves ready for the day ahead, so I decided to write mine down and here it is!
On a weekday I normally get up about 05:50-06:00. The first thing I do out of habit is brush my teeth! I know its a bit odd but I like to have fresh breath for my next part of my routine.
I then go downstairs and get ready to practise yoga, but before I start I light some incense – I am obsessed with incense and have quite a range of scents!
I have been practising yoga for about 4 years now but only started doing it every morning in the last 4-5 months. I absolutely love it. I usually put on a YouTube video to help guide me – my favourite is Yoga with Adrienne. I try to do at least 30 mins every day. The reason I like fresh breath for this is I try to practice Ujayi breath and Lion’s breath! I love practicing in my living room as its bright and open.
After yoga I make myself a glass of hot water and lemon. Then I brew a cup of herbal tea – either Your Tea’s Tiny Tea or anything else I have handy. Then I make my packed lunch for work.
At about 6:45 I wake up my daughter Inika and get her breakfast.
Then I go back upstairs for my shower. After that its pretty standard -I get changed, do my hair and makeup whilst watching BBC Breakfast news. I then make sure my daughter is dressed and ready for school and then we both leave the house at about 07:50.
So what’s your morning routine?
I am not usually one for discussing my undergarments but I thought this was more of a fashion post so I am going there! Let’s be straight, I have an amble bust and therefore skimpy, frilly things just aren’t for me. However this lace bralet works more like a top that I can wear under clothes to give that sexy peak of lace. I got this one from Asos (£14).
I just like wearing this under simple shirts as I think it adds a lovely detail without being too revealing or raunchy!
Body Shop launched a new range of products called “Oils of Life” and they look amazing. I am working my way through my Sunday Riley oils (see here and here) so have resisted purchasing the facial oil from this range but I did get the twin ball facial massager (£16).
The massager is meant to be used with oils so this was perfect for me to use with my existing oils. I have this by my bedside table and I try and use it t least 2-3 times a week with my Luna Sleeping Oil. Occasionally I also use it as part of my morning routine with my Juno Oil, especially if my face is puffy or tired looking.
Facial massage is known to help improve skin tone and circulation, reduce puffiness, stimulate blood flow and improve lymphatic drainage. I watched Lisa Eldridge’s epic video to get some tips, but the Body Shop also have a video on how to use the massager (its quite funny!).
I absolutely love this massager. The metal balls are really cold to start with which feels amazing. I massage my face for about 2-5 minutes depending on my mood. I find it so relaxing and it definitely relieves any tension that I hold in my jaw, temples and neck which is why I love using this at bedtime. It’s not a hard step to add to my routine but hopefully is doing some good to my skin and helping the oils absorb better. If nothing else it feels amazing and is very relaxing! Would highly recommend this!
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